Weather: I'm a trader, this is the hell I went through with the storms

On Tuesday, May 20, the Var department was partly subjected to terrible storms that caused devastating floods. Three people drowned , octogenarians trapped in their vehicles according to the latest information we have. The damage is such that the Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard announced Wednesday that the state of natural disaster should be declared by the government to facilitate and accelerate compensation. Because in the Southwest too (Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne), but Monday late afternoon, a stormy episode caused "torrents of water and hail" reports the Inf Occitanie website. Many farmers lost all their crops. The land even collapsed under the tracks of a TGV train that had to be evacuated.

The town of Le Lavandou heals its wounds after the storms

But it was in the Var department that the storms caused the most damage , particularly in the Cavalière district and all along the Avenue du Cap Nègre in the popular seaside resort of Lavandou (Vidauban and Saint-Tropez suffered less) . Almost no business was spared by the sudden rise in water levels and the torrent of mud that submerged the artery. We tried to reach the mayor, Gil Bernardi, by telephone, but the town hall told us yesterday morning that he was still "on the ground." Because the mayor must accompany and comfort his constituents, even if the situation improves a little, we will see. On the other hand, the accounting balance sheet is heavy and the damage will cost "tens of millions of euros," he declared to France 3 Côte d'Azur , detailing the extent of the devastation caused by these storms in his commune.

The traders of Le Lavandou between urgency and fatalism

At the time of writing this article, it was of course difficult to reach the shopkeepers affected by the floods in Le Lavandou . But we managed somehow. The manager of a decoration and furniture store answered us courteously: "Oh, sorry, I'm in the mud, I'm cleaning up, I thought it was the expert calling me, a thousand apologies but I have to hang up." It was the same with an employee of one of the tobacco shops on Avenue du Cap Nègre: "Sorry, I'm waiting for the expert who should have already been here and I'm finishing clearing away the mud." More verbose, and probably fatalistic, the manager of the Milor boutique (purchase of gold and antiques), located near the Cavalière beach, explained to us: " The torrent swept away my car parked in front of the entrance, and that of a customer, which is in the pound, good for the scrapyard. Yesterday, from 9:30 a.m. when the storm ended, until 5 p.m., I spent the day cleaning mud, mud, and more mud. The water rose to 60 cm and left a 10 cm layer. A fire truck came by and created a wave that made my window collapse. Today (Wednesday, May 21, editor's note) I continue to clean what I can clean, but it's progressing well." All without water or electricity, which have not been restored, the local wastewater treatment plant having even been destroyed by the floods.

The difficult wait for insurance experts

Milor's manager, still: " I made my declaration, sent the photos and I'm going to call the insurance company back early this afternoon to find out when the expert will come by. I don't know when I'll reopen because I have some old furniture in the shop that has taken on a bit of water. We'll check with them. I hope that in 2-3 days it will be okay ." In his misfortune, he thinks of his fellow shopkeepers. "I'm fine, I didn't have a fridge or freezer for example. But for the restaurateurs and others, it's dead. Across the street, the terrace is completely devastated. For them, it's going to be very, very hard." The usual good weather at the end of May was indeed supposed to start the season... "But traffic - except for trucks - is gradually being restored and that's already a big improvement compared to yesterday. "

We also contacted the manager of Lavandou Watersports, who has had better luck so far. Located on a pontoon leading off Cavalière Beach, his facility was spared. However, one problem is worrying: "For now, things are going well; we offer water sports, and the season hasn't started yet. But if the water treatment plant isn't repaired before the summer and swimming is banned, we'll be affected ." For now, he doesn't know how and if he'll be compensated if that's the case.

Firefighters can finally breathe a sigh of relief after the deluge

On Wednesday morning, we were also able to contact William Vogl, fire captain and communications manager for the Var Departmental Directorate of Fire and Rescue Services . "Our work, which is to intervene in emergencies, will soon stop. Now there will be a return to normal, which consists of cleaning the mud in the houses, etc. We are helping the victims, and then it will be the town halls and various associations on the ground who will take over. The cumulative rainfall has been very significant, from 110 to 255 mm, which is enormous, all combined with "stationary" storms. Regarding people who died in their cars, although he cannot provide information because investigations are underway, Captain Vogl gives this advice: "Far too many people are swept away in their vehicles during similar events , fortunately it does not always end dramatically. It is not the height of the water that matters but the strength of the current. It is she who will raise the vehicle and pull it with him."