La Faute-sur-Mer, tragedy

[Rochej]

From Ouest France



With twenty-four people killed, the small town of La Faute-sur-Mer suffered most from the passage of the storm Xynthia.

Wedged between the Atlantic, just behind the dunes, and the river Lay. Trapped by the storm on one side and an uncontrolled flood of another.

The extent of the damage is difficult to measure until the water goes. "In our area, all the houses are flooded and inaccessible," said a resident, who was rescued Sunday morning . "Near my house there are many homes where the shutters are closed, but it is during the holidays. Some of our neighbours may be in the house ...How do I know? "An environment that makes the relief difficult. The town is home to just 1 400 inhabitants in winter and "almost 30 000 in summer".

Yesterday, was time for more questions. Who was there? Who is not? "There are many houses that were not revisited" says a resident. "There are also animals that are dying, alone in the house."

The army has strengthened the forces of the gendarmerie. A waterwheel of journalists tended cameras and microphones to report on the tradgedy. Many secondary residents, alerted by media reports, arrived on site to inspect the damage and, at the same time, cpnfirm they are not "lost". Their nightmare has materialized, Maintained by the water continuing to stagnate around, fed by a nasty morning rain.

Everywhere, however, things are bring organised. Even when the calamity is enormous. Christophe Lemaire has come to sort out his house, accompanied by Giles, his brother. For him the water, fortunately, has disappeared. No mud. Let alone the trauma of a nightmarish night, who crusheed his family. "My stepfather died. He lived behind the marina, the area most affected. A bay window before it exploded under the pressure of the water. "

Christophe took the initiative to get on a boat Sunday morning with a friend. "I had to go see. Firefighters have not yet been able to fetch my stepfather. To my wife it is very, very hard. They also lost close friends. A grandfather and his grandson, son of 18 months have been submerged by the rising waters. The baby has not been found. " Since the storm, the family is housed in a nearby town.

Jessica and Matthew, 27 and 31 years. Like Christophe, the couple were able to return to the small house they rent. "We stayed with my parents in Sérigné near Fontenay-le-Comte. It's obvious we're not the most affected." For them, indeed, no human tragedy but heavy damage. "We will stay until Wednesday at least, says Matthew "Fortunately we did not buy this house. I can not stay here. Not after what happened. Impossible. "

[Rochej]

The prefect of Vendée Jean-Jacques Brot announced Tuesday that four people were still missing at La Faute-sur-Mer the village most affected by the storm Xynthia.

After the restoration of communications in the area affected by the storm Tuesday morning the prefect said. "The search resumed this morning in the central area of zone of La Faute-sur-Mer trying to find these four people ", he said.

268 rescuers are still deployed in the area, plus 45 police and 188 divers and two helicopters.

Monday night 29 people were sheltered in community halls made available in l'Aiguillon-sur-mer, while the pumping operations were continuing at La Faute-sur-Mer with a flow rate in the late morning of 8800 m3 / H

Some 189 people are looking for temporary relocation, but "we will also permanently relocate people who want to return home," said Brot.

The electricity was partially restored in the department where fewer than 3,500 homes were still without power Tuesday.

[Rochej]

more photos at ouest France: http://www.lessablesdolonne.maville.com ... Htm#pubTop

[Rochej]

from www.french-property.com

Who is to Blame?

Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that an inquiry will be held to find out why so many people died, and that a programme of reinforcement of coastal defences will be carried out. Around 10% of the thousands of kilometres of sea defences in the country are considered to be vulnerable.

Criticism is now growing of the failure of the authorities to undertake prior evacuation of people from their homes, when there was clear warning from Météo France that the storm would be violent, and that some coastal areas would be submerged by sea water.

The Minister in charge of the Environment, Chantal Jouanno, also stated that there will be a need to toughen the regulations on construction on the coast and on flood plains, deploring the fact that since the storms of 1999, more than 100,000 homes had been constructed in risk areas in France.

Legislation introduced in 1995 introduced the planning status of 'risk zones' where development could not take place, or could only do so with conditions, and it is the adequacy of this legislation that is now being brought into question. Out of the 36,000 communes in France, less than 10,000 have a risk prevention plan in place.

A number of the developments caught by the most recent storm were built below sea level, and only protected from the sea by dykes that were constructed over a 100 years ago, or newly imported rocks, soil and sand.

There is also widespread criticism of the lack of proper maintenance of the dykes. Critics consider the existing jumble of local associations set up to maintain the dykes lack the financial ability and technical expertise to carry out their responsibilities. In most cases, while the local councils provide funding to these bodies, they do not have direct maintenance responsibility.

Many of these developments have gone ahead against the advice of experts and the wishes of local campaign groups, with mayors having caved in to pressure from developers for the construction of new seaside homes.

[Rochej]

28 dead, two missing persons. The official death toll on Tuesday evening, from the storm in the Vendee.

The victims are all from La Faute, where some neighbourhoods are still covered by 1.80 m of water. By Tuesday night, the level was significantly decreased by 50 cm, under the combined effect of the recession and pumping operations. The nine pumping stations release water to Lay, which separates the two municipalities affected, at 8 800 m3 per hour, the equivalent of 88 000 baths. Additional pumps will be added today.

Despite fatigue, 300 firefighters continue, this morning at daybreak, to visit the areas most affected. The places where people live, where stagnant water covered in oil, with floating residues, remain inaccessible. "90% of homes have been visited, with no new discoveries of bodies," , Jean-Marie Huftier, the sub-prefect at Fontenay, asserted yesterday evening. "Many victims yearn to return home. We call for caution: The risks from being in a house unsecured and without drinking water are too high." Yesterday evening, 1 100 homes remained without power, most of those affected by the tragedy.

[Pearl]

My sons school in Fontenay have sent home a letter to say that a pupil (aged 13) had died in La Faute along with his younger brother, mother and grandmother. Such a tragedy in one family, it has really stopped me in my tracks. It makes our fallen chimney and a few broken tiles look so insignificant.

[Rochej]

Philippe de Villiers, President of the General Council of Vendée, suggested today that the affected families in La Faute-sur-mer did not return to their homes, and should be compensated by developers.

"Where the sea has flooded, the sea will return. The basin of La Faute-sur-mer, the center of the tragedy, should be returned to its natural marshland", suggested Mr. de Villiers a press conference today.

He asked that "no more homes are built in the basin of La Faute-sur-Mer, where there have been recent developments built below the level Sea ".

"We can not conceive that affected families return to this life-threatening area, many of these families have already indicated they do not want to return", he added.

He also assured that "the families concerned will be compensated for the loss of their homes. This compensation shall be fully borne by the developers, this decision of public safety must be by the municipality of La Faute-sur-mer under the authority of the State and if necessary by a law ".