Paris braces for peak flooding as Seine River rises

[mfcorey1]

Parisians on Saturday were preparing for the Seine River to rise further as it approached peak levels, with forecasters warning that flood danger both in the French capital and other regions could stay high for the next week.

The Vigicrues flooding agency says the Seine will top out at 19 to 19.7 feet between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.



Although that is below the 20 feet reached two years ago, when two people in the Paris area died and several were injured in flooding, it could still cause problems for transport and those living on the river's banks.

City authorities have closed several tunnels, parks and the bottom floor of the Louvre Museum as precautionary measures, and the Musee d'Orsay and the Orangerie are on high alert.

Roads on the river banks have also been closed to traffic, and seven train stations alongside the river have been shut down. River traffic has been suspended, disappointing tourists eager to take sightseeing cruises.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/27/paris-braces-peak-flooding-seine-river-rises/1071853001/

[cilla4progress]

1. Waters

rising

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Peak now expected for the end of Sunday, not the start

The swollen Seine rose even higher on Sunday, keeping Paris on alert, though forecasters said the flooding should peak by the end of the day.

The river had risen 11 centimetres (4.3 inches) in 24 hours by Saturday evening, more than four metres above its normal height, causing headaches for commuters as well as people living near its overflowing banks.

Tourists suffered too with the capital's famous Bateaux Mouches rivercraft out of service, and only emergency services authorised to navigate the Seine.

The Vigicrues flooding agency forecasts the river will peak at 5.95 metres (19.3 feet) overnight, not quite reaching the 2016 high of 6.1 metres, when the Louvre museum was forced to shut for four days.

http://www.france24.com/en/20180128-paris-france-floods-seine-river-nears-peak-levels-transport-museums-high-alert-evacuations

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. French floods: Seine river reaches peak in flood-hit Paris

The swollen River Seine in the French capital, Paris, has peaked at about four metres above its normal water level for the time of year.

The flood level rose to 5.84m (19.2ft) early on Monday and is not expected to begin receding before Tuesday.
...
In 2016, the last significant flood in Paris, the river reached a high of 6.1m.
...
Water levels are expected to remain high all week, as more rain is expected to worsen an already waterlogged soil, and towns downstream from Paris are expected to be affected in the coming days.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42856634