Severe Weather Hits Western France: Missing Sailor, Flooding in Rennes, and Vendée Globe Village Closure

Severe Weather Impacting Western France

This past Sunday, Western France faced an unprecedented flood, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in over 40 years in Rennes. Wind gusts surpassed 100 km/h, leading to the closure of the Vendée Globe village and significant disruptions in rail and road traffic. The Herminia depression has brought chaos throughout the region, following the exceptionally severe storm Eowyn that wreaked havoc in Ireland.

Météo-France has issued an orange weather alert for Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, and Rhône, which will remain in effect until Monday. Meanwhile, Finistère and Côtes-d’Armor were downgraded to a yellow alert by midday, but Morbihan is set to face an orange alert for rain and flooding beginning at 6 PM on Sunday. Calvados, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, and Orne will continue to be on orange alert for flooding until Monday, as water levels are predicted to rise further, according to Vigicrues.

Flooding and Evacuations in Rennes

The city of Rennes has experienced significant flooding, with water levels in the Ille and Vilaine rivers surpassing those recorded during the 1981 floods. Mayor Nathalie Appéré shared the alarming situation during a press conference, noting, “Today, we are facing water levels higher than those observed in 1981, a year marked by serious flooding.”

Due to the rising waters, an evacuation order was issued for four streets on Saturday evening, urging residents to seek shelter with family or in designated gymnasiums opened by the city. A crisis unit has been established at the town hall to manage the situation effectively. The mayor reported that approximately 100 homes were affected, and while many residents sought refuge with relatives, 26 individuals were accommodated in one of the gymnasiums.

This neighborhood, situated between the Ille and Rance canal and the Ille, is now submerged, highlighting the severity of the flooding.

Disruptions to Transportation and Missing Sailor

Further south in Les Sables d’Olonne, the Vendée Globe village has been closed to the public due to the adverse weather conditions. Race management has indicated that skippers Benjamin Dutreux and Clarisse Crémer may need to seek shelter in La Rochelle or Lorient after passing the line off the Vendée city, as conditions could be too perilous for port entry.

The Herminia depression has also caused significant disruptions in train services across Normandy, where gusts of wind could reach up to 110 km/h. Train services, particularly on routes between Paris and Cherbourg and between Caen and Rennes, have been affected, with cancellations expected on Sunday and Monday. Brittany has also been impacted, with traffic suspended on lines from Quimper to Landerneau and Rennes to Saint-Malo.

In a separate incident, a 73-year-old British sailor went missing off the coast of Gironde. The sailor, who had been navigating alone, activated a distress beacon prompting a search operation. Despite efforts from the Atlantic maritime prefecture and the deployment of aircraft and vessels, the search was called off due to a lack of new information.

Authorities are reminding all navigators and water sports enthusiasts to heed safety guidelines during the winter months, especially with the occurrence of multiple depressions.

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