Is there a French "flooding" website?

[mint]

Does anyone know whether there is a website which shows areas of potential flooding in France?  For example, if you put in a postcode, it will show you likelihood of flooding.

Might be useful even if not completely accurate, especially in view of the recent storm problems.

[cooperlola]

Why not just keep an eye on METEO France for all types of weather warnings, Sweets?

[Will]

There are several. This is an official one: http://www.vigicrues.ecologie.gouv.fr/

[Swissie]

I imagine Sweet wants to know regarding the possible purchase of a property with fosse problems and high water table - so access to a historical site for the area would be invaluable.

[mint]

Couldn't have put it better myself, Swissie!

[Les]

You may find some info, on this site.

http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Site-Cartorisque.html

[Chancer]

Sweets.

Buy an IGN carte de randonee for the area, look for the rivers streams and fosses and then using the contour lines compare their elevation to that of your property, relying on the absence of previous flooding is not a good idea as can be seen at the moment.

[Quillan]

You can also visit your local mayors office or the DDE. Our mayor has a map showing all the 'plots' in the village (the river Aude runs through it) and the plots are colour coded representing the likelyhood of flooding for a particular plot. This is part of a bigger set of maps that the DDE have which covers the whole department.

[5-element]

[quote user="Je ne donne pas un singes"]You may find some info, on this site.

http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Site-Cartorisque.html[/quote]

Very informative site, thank you. You can really zoom in right into any particular area.

[mint]

Thank you, everyone for your suggestions and help.  I guess it will have to be a visit to the mairie.  Just need to do the homework "on the ground" sometimes and go and look at the river!

[pachapapa]

Whilst not specifically for flooding risks the GeoPortail Site gives plenty of local area information. There are 55 couches/overlays for selection and the Hydographie option is useful to highlight all surface water down to the smallest stream. The site is for France more informative than Google Earth. Available at: http://www.geoportail.fr/visu2D.do?m=ra   Just enter the name of the Commune in the search bar to go whither you wish.

Below a link to the La Faute commune with the floods; if you select Hydrographie the blue will show the potential water problem.

http://www.geoportail.fr/RechercheGC.do;jsessionid=CF929FC19B2C1FF635E2990CDB89CF16.82E2A85298FFF90485E6B15C91FCAC0DC7E1?adresse=Adresse&cp=Code+Postal&villeAdresse=La+Faute+sur+Mer&ville=Nom+de+la+commune&rechercheParAdresse=true&x=28&y=7

[mint]

Pacha, that's a very useful site.

The property is about 120 metres from the nearest riverlet and the floor level is virtually ground level.  Ground level is about 1 metre above top water level in the riverlet.

No history of flooding, as far as we know but area is very flat and stream is meandering.  Very pretty but I guess not so good-looking in a flood situation!

Any thoughts, anybody?

[pachapapa]

Hi!

Another risk site accessible either on a commune or depatrtment basis; the dept option gives a useful right margin with couche/overlay options.

http://www.prim.net/cgi_bin/citoyen/macommune/23_face_au_risque.html

[Pommier]

I noticed on the other forum (TF) that Pomhorn has posted about flooding information in 'French property, searching, purchasing and moving'

Might be worth a look.

[mint]

Pachtha and Pommier, thank you both.  Will look and absorb but will also be physically on site next week to assess and evaluate.

LOL, what fun, looking for old "tide" marks, pumps installed, calling at the Mairie, talking to people....boring I know but there's really nothing to replace some personal research.

Thank you to everybody for their input and I guess I owe Pacha a drink at the very least, if not a fee, for all the help he's given me.[:)] 

[Pommier]

Where is the house you're thinking of buying?

[mint]

In the Western Loire, north of your new home, Pommier.

Trust the floods didn't affect you?

[Pommier]

No - we were lucky and had no damage at all. There was some damage to a few beach and harbourside properties which wasn't surprising considering the force of the storm.

[mint]

Hi Pacha and everybody who has kindly shown an interest in my problem.

Have been to look around the property, guaged distance to stream, lie of the land, etc, etc.  Then went to the Mairie where they showed us the maps relating to risks of flooding.

Then, the secretary said, tell you what, I know the person who lives next door and works for the Council and I will have a word with him and ring you back; just give me your details.

Thank you, madame, I said, but we are not local and we are away from our home for the rest of the week.  Don't worry, she said, just give me the information and I will ring you after you get home.

Well we got home late on the Sunday, we knew the Mairie was closed on the Monday, then at 10 am on the Tuesday, the secretary from the Mairie rang and told us, I have spoken to the man who lives next door and he tells me that he has lived there for over 20 years and has never known any flooding.

Talk about being pleasantly surprised..........so, I thought I'd bring you all up to date as this little account nicely demonstrates that sometimes, just sometimes, someone somewhere does something over and above the call of duty in order to help you!

And, believe it or not, I have known several people from the Forum who have also done that to help me.  I won't mention their names cos I don't want to embarrass them but they are definitely out there [:D]

[Gardengirl]

Sweet, just sent a PM; it went a bit odd; received it, or is it lost in space?

And I think all these kind people on here are wonderful too! ;o)