The aftermath of the storm.

[Pierre ZFP]

I'm ashamed to say that I was grumbling because of a branch of a tree that blew down and smashed the windscreen of my car, pretty small beer compared to the horror that others have been through.

[Frenchie]

Oh yes, I think we're all the same Pierre... I felt guilty complaining about a few slipped tiles and a fallen tree .....

It's so close from here, and my village is trying to do what they can : we have a place where to take clothes and blankets and things like shoes, etc...

Time is not for finding whose responsibility it is, it is a time for mourning .

[Christine Animal]

The other day in a village in Charente Maritime they had found the body of a ten year old boy and were trying to find those of his grandmother and younger sister with everything still under water.  They have now been found.  What can you say?

 

[quote user="just john "] The sea went quite far inland apparently.[/quote]

Yes, last night they showed farms under water.  One young breeder had lost his six hundred sheep, except six who had gone to the Salon de l'Agriculture.  It showed them all lying in a mess of straw in the enormous building.  He said when he went in there, they were all looking at him and calling, but he could do nothing to save them.

There must have been so many pets in those lotissements who could not have survived when the waves came through.  I have only noticed a few people who have been rescued with their dog.

The message which seems to be coming over from the maires of different communes and those sinistered is the enormous solidarity.  The kindness of others is helping them a little to get through such a traumatic time.

 

[Frederick]

Today from one of the French news reports .

A gigantic cleanup operation has begun in western France, as rescuers continue the search for missing people. At a press conference in Vendée, one of the worst hit areas, officials confirmed that 28 people lost their lives in the region, while the priority remains lowering the water level with special pumps. There are also concerns about the dead animals floating in the flood water, while some residents are worried about insurance cover and how quickly they will receive compensation

[Frenchie]

In today's local paper, they also say Deux Sèvres ( 79)has now been declared " zone de catastrophe naturelle ".

[Christine Animal]

There are photos here which show the extent of the flooding.

http://www.lessablesdolonne.maville.com/actu/galeriephoto_detailsGalerie_-Les-degats-de-Xynthia-vus-du-ciel_4453-127647_GaleriePhoto.Htm#pubTop

 

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Frenchie"]In today's local paper, they also say Deux Sèvres ( 79)has now been declared " zone de catastrophe naturelle ".[/quote]

The four Red Alert Départments were included in the JO.

But perhaps they were rather more anthropogenic planning failures, despite his allocution at Aiguillon, one might wonder whether his 29th April 2009 allocution mentioning Planning Reglamentation and the need render "zones inondable" buildable reflects better reality. The Grand Paris discourse available on the elysée site at:

http://www.elysee.fr/webtv/discours-de-m-le-president-de-la-republique-a-la-cite-de-l-architecture-et-du-patrimoine-sur-le-grand-paris-video-3-1140.html

[pachapapa]

Thalassa the popular France 3 weekly documentary wil be devoting the programme to flooding caused by  Xynthia.

Their reporting team has spent the last week in the Charente-Maritime/Vendée area.

The transmission will be beamed out of La Rochelle live this evening at 20:35.

http://www.programme.tv/thalassa-2558872.php

[Frederick]

http://www.spot.com/web/SICORP/3144-hurricane-xynthia-spot-4-shows-the-flooding-on-the-vendee-coast.php

A Map showing before and after  Hurricane Xynthia...shows a much bigger area under water than I first thought...

[NormanH]

[quote user="Mel"]Interestingly, my first sight of this awful storm was on the UK media and I have followed it ever since on Sky, BBC and the European channels, France24 and EuroNews...

NormanH said, "Of course for well heeled second home owners, or immigrants shielded by temporary wealth something like this is shocking, because it could have happened to them, whereas frequent reports of death and disaster that affect 'lesser breeds' in other continents don't count..."

What a sad, miserable attitude. And as Russethouse has asked, why did you not start a thread on the subjects that concern you so much? And how much have you personally donated to them?[/quote]

What a sad, miserable attitude

There is nothing sad or miserable about what I said, just justified outrage against  crocodile tears from people who have lost nothing but had a tiny worry that it happened not that far from where they have a property.

I organised before the end of January an event which raised over 2000 Euros from the local communityin France where I live, apart from my personal donations.

What did you, a person who is always going on about how well accepted you are in France do to use your popularity with your neighbours to persuade them to give?

As usual I don't expect you to give a concrete answer, because I am sure you can't.

[woolybanana]

Norman, I am sure you will go to Heaven for your good works, though there may be some hesitation as regards your crabby comments and boasting about what you have done which will doubtless cost you a few years in the other place.

 

[Christine Animal]

 

Une semaine après Xynthia, Notre-Dame de Paris prie pour les victimes

 

[Frederick]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/mar2010/fran-m03.shtml

More on who is to blame now !

[woolybanana]

That article us nothing short of stooopid Fredo. The reporter should be hung out to dry for trying to make fatuous political capital out of a tragedy.

[Frederick]

I accept what you say Wolly . I was not interested in the politics of it Just if it had any further facts on the aftermath of the hurricane..and what they intend to do to prevent it happening again . I noted they had picked up a political axe to grind .

[woolybanana]

Well, Fredo, de Villiers is suggesting that the sites most damaged should be returned to nature, with compensation paid by the developers. Which is not so bad, but the communes have their share of guilt too as they granted permission for these developments.

One problem is that local political mafias, mainly farmers re classifying their land from agricultural to building land have made loadsa dosh. Should they repay the profits? In my book, yes.

[Swissie]

It seems that it was a disaster waiting to happen- just like new Orleans.  It seems nature is currently teaching us that we can't mess around with it as we previously thought we could. The UK government has come to the conclusion some time ago that not all sea defences cannot be maintained and that land 'stolen' from the sea will have to be given back to the elements in quite large proportion.

I do not think many of us would buy a house below sea level now, or within 200m of crumbling cliffs, however pretty, romantic or good value.

[Frederick]

Its not just the farmers Wooly ..The building still goes on .and not only the expanding tourist business with camping and caravan sites going over to Mobile Home parks ...The big name supermarkets have built in the area together with new bricolages and electrical goods suppliers .. Its growing so much. Over the past five years I have watched it change ..so many people have chosen the South Vendee to move to...The new mororway links...Paris in less than 4 hours has been responsible for a lot of it . I can see the building of new homes will have to stop ...and there are a lot of plots part developed in the area that people will I assume pull out of finishing .

[Swissie]

I remember the terrible Frejus disaster from the 50s- as our family hosted 2 kids who'd lost their parents for a while. In this case it was a dam that had given way - but it was clear then that the devastation was partly due to poor planning and the concreting of flood plains - with new shopping centres, housing and roads. They said then - things must change, better planning, NEVER EVER AGAIN - more than 50 years ago. And greed still rules...

[Frederick]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photojol/sets/72157623430937473/show/with/4410738638/

I have just been emailed these photos a compilation of the storm ones up to the 14th of March   They are on slide show so take a while to view .