Flood of the century alert for Parisians
Source: Agencies |
January 21, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ONE hundred years ago, the river Seine burst its banks and filled the elegant boulevards of Paris with torrents of muddy water, forcing thousands of inhabitants out of their homes and cutting off power for months.
The same thing could happen again. Only this time the consequences will be 10 times worse, experts say.
"The flood is unavoidable," said Louis Hubert, director for the Paris region at France's ministry of ecology and sustainable development.
"What we can simply say is that we are almost certain to see new considerable floods, but we don't know when."
Paris' centennial flood of 1910 - a flood which has a 1 in 100 chance of occurring every year - affected 200,000 people in 1910 and cost 1.5 billion euros (US$2.15 billion) in today's money.
A similar flood these days would affect around a million inhabitants and cost 15 billion euros. Another two to three million people are likely to see their electricity cut off for several days, he added.
"In both cases, there are 10 times more people concerned, and the direct cost is 10 times more that of 1910. It could lead to disorganization of the Paris region and have an effect on the national economy," he added.
Since 1910, Paris has taken pains to boost its defences, by raising the height of bridges and scooping out a deeper riverbed. But increased urbanization and the proliferation of electricity and telephone networks mean more people are vulnerable, Hubert said.
The same thing could happen again. Only this time the consequences will be 10 times worse, experts say.
"The flood is unavoidable," said Louis Hubert, director for the Paris region at France's ministry of ecology and sustainable development.
"What we can simply say is that we are almost certain to see new considerable floods, but we don't know when."
Paris' centennial flood of 1910 - a flood which has a 1 in 100 chance of occurring every year - affected 200,000 people in 1910 and cost 1.5 billion euros (US$2.15 billion) in today's money.
A similar flood these days would affect around a million inhabitants and cost 15 billion euros. Another two to three million people are likely to see their electricity cut off for several days, he added.
"In both cases, there are 10 times more people concerned, and the direct cost is 10 times more that of 1910. It could lead to disorganization of the Paris region and have an effect on the national economy," he added.
Since 1910, Paris has taken pains to boost its defences, by raising the height of bridges and scooping out a deeper riverbed. But increased urbanization and the proliferation of electricity and telephone networks mean more people are vulnerable, Hubert said.
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