Storms and flooding in the Vendee, France

An article from www.holidays-in-vendee.com

Floods in Vendee | Storm in Vendee | Xynthia

During the night of the 27th of February the Vendee department of France and the nearby Charente Maritime was hit by a severe storm. The unique and simultaneous combination of very high winds, a very high tidal coefficient and very low air pressure caused the sea to break through the sea defences and flood low-lying areas. In the Vendee this has essentially affected the towns of L’Aiguillon sur Mer and La Faute sur Mer and the reclaimed land around these towns towards the village of St Michel en L’Herm and around the bay of L’Aiguillon. The low-lying areas of Charente Maritime either side of La Rochelle (Charron, Aytré) and on the island of Re have also been severely flooded.

In both of the Vendee towns of L’Aiguillon and La Faute some of the residential areas were completely flooded and our thoughts go to the families that have had their homes and livelihoods lost or severely damaged, and of course to those who have lost members of their family.

Consequences for tourism in the Vendee

Whilst we are appalled by the human consequences of this disaster for those who live in the area, our business brings us inevitably to look ahead to the tourist season. Many people who have already booked holidays in the Vendee have asked us whether their planned holiday will be affected, This may seen uncaring compared to the losses and distress incurred locally but we do understand customers’ concerns.

We feel that it is necessary to summarise the situation as clearly as possible to balance any wild speculation that may appear in the media.

For the Vendee, the situation concerns a few parts of a relatively small area on the southern tip (see map). The flooded areas result from the unusual geography which mostly consists of flat land, reclaimed progressively from the sea from the 11th century onwards, dotted with slightly higher areas where villages and hamlets were set up long ago. In recent times, coastal real-estate pressure has meant that many potentially floodable zones have been built on, relying on the sea defences and the extreme unlikelihood of these very severe conditions.

If you have already booked holiday accommodation within this zone, contact the owner or agency to see whether the accommodation has been damaged and what measures may be able to be undertaken between now and the summer season. It would be wise to check the situation for other areas of the Vendee coast if the holiday accomodation is within a few hundred metres of the beach.

Rest assured that holiday properties further inland and elsewhere in the Vendee will not have been affected.

Southern Vendee coast
Those who have planned a holiday in the southern half of the Vendee may be concerned about the condition of the coast and the infrastructure and facilities for this summer. Anywhere on the coast from La Tranche sur Mer northwards has not been seriously affected and so apart from some of the beaches and dunes having been remodelled there should be no lasting consequences. The necessary cleaning up and repairs will easily be accomplished before the holiday season so you will have access to the coast and facilities as normal at La Tranche sur Mer and anywhere further north along the coast.

L'Aiguillon sur Mer and La Faute sur Mer
At the time of this update (11th March) the flooded areas are mostly pumped dry and the cleaning up operations in the towns of L’Aiguillon and La Faute are well underway. Some areas will require some work in repairing roads and infrastructure.

The area has been classed officially as a “natural catastrophe” and an insurance ombudsman has been appointed which will enable insurance claims to be quickly dealt with. The government has already made financial aid available for reconstruction and rehabilitation work. The numbers of homeless and the economic importance of the tourist industry in the southern Vendee mean that every effort will be made to ensure that the area is put back on its feet as quickly as possible. In all probablility these towns will be fully operational in time for the holiday season.

If we have any further relevant news in the coming weeks we will post it on this page. Last updated 11/03.

Update 08/04/10 - Business as usual for the Easter weeekend
Both L'Aiguillon and La Faute sur Mer had a busy Easter weekend, with droves of early season tourists, helped by the mostly clement weather and no doubt the "curiosity" factor. The main street of La Faute sur Mer was open as usual - most bars, restaurants and shops all starting their season. The access to the main beaches were open, admitedly with a bit of debris here and there left to sort out. The main works still underway are along the sea/estuary defences and road towards the end of the point - a fair treck out of the town. And also a section of dune being reworked at La Belle Henriette where it seems that the water management of the lagoon is being improved. Access to one of residential areas of La Faute is still closed. The departmental authorities have now taken the decision to completely demolish and clear this area to eliminate any future flood risk. Houses in several designated high risk zones will be subject to compulsory purchase at the market value. Photos 04/04/10.	Land yachting at La Faute sur Mer - the beach is open.

From La Dive, looking towards the sea defences along the Point de L'Aiguillon. The fields are almost drained now, although with the salty silt left behind they are likely to be unsuitable for planting crops for a number of years to come	The beach at Le Rocher, Longeville sur Mer - hardly a sign of the storm.

Further resources :

Article on the Conseil General website (French) - Nicolas Sarkozy visits the area to assess the situation.

Video from the TF1 web site - Flooded farms in the area around L'Aiguillon sur Mer.

Article from the Ouest France website (French) - Plan of action for the area, other related articles.