Western France is grappling with the aftermath of record-breaking floods that affected the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Charente-Maritime, and Maine-et-Loire. Although the water recession process, known as décrue, has officially begun, it is progressing extremely slowly. The situation has stabilized enough for students to return to school after the holidays, though in many cases transportation relied on military trucks and gendarmerie vehicles due to flooded roads.

Slow retreat of the great water

The water recession process in the Sarthe and Charente river basins is progressing, but services are maintaining the highest alerts due to the threat to infrastructure.

Military transport to schools

The end of the holidays coincided with the flood, forcing the army to transport children to school facilities using off-road trucks.

Record flood levels

In towns such as Ancenis, water levels from the catastrophic 1995 flood were exceeded, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate.

Residents of western France are beginning to assess the damage following a flood wave that broke historical records from 1995 in many places. In the town of Cheffes-sur-Sarthe, water entered residential buildings, reaching levels of 1.40 meters in some spots. Meteorological services maintained the highest, red-level alert for three key departments until Tuesday, citing the need to monitor levee stability and the slow drainage rate from saturated soils. An exceptionally difficult situation prevails in Saintes, where Mayor Bruno Drapron openly speaks of the exhaustion of the local community, plagued by repeated flooding cycles in recent years. The French flood monitoring system Vigicrues was modernized after the tragic 2010 flood wave (Cyclone Xynthia) to more accurately forecast threats on Atlantic rivers, but the intensity of the 2026 events surprised even experienced hydrologists.Despite dramatic conditions, Monday brought a semblance of normalcy with children returning to educational facilities. This operation, however, required extraordinary logistical measures; in the department of Charente-Maritime, students were transported to school by military trucks, as traditional buses could not navigate flooded road sections. „C'est un enfer” (It's hell) — Bruno Drapron Simultaneously with rescue efforts, police and gendarmerie intensified boat patrols to secure property in evacuated villages, where initial looting attempts were reported. The situation in Loire-Atlantique indicates that the flood peak has been reached, but hydrologists from Vigicrues warn against excessive optimism. Complete drainage of the areas could take many weeks due to the specific nature of the lower Loire river basin. „On voit la petite lumière au loin” (We see a small light in the distance) — Météo-France For many families, this year's flood has become a turning point; for the first time, calls for permanent relocation of residents from the most threatened floodplains are being voiced so loudly, which may force the government to make radical changes to the region's spatial planning.

Mentioned People

  • Bruno Drapron — Mayor of the city of Saintes, describing the difficult situation of residents affected by the flood.