Storm Alert!

This morning I woke shortly after six to hear rain battering down on the rooftop. But this was nothing new , for it has rained heavily for the past four days. Our phone pinged. It was a message from our Insurance agency to warn us of impending floods in St Etienne de Gourgas. It pinged again an hour later. This time floods were forecast in Sète, where they insure our flat. When it pinged for a third time, there was concern for our boat which is moored at Frontignan. Clearly, floods were expected throughout the region. On looking out of the windows at breakfast time, the cliffs and distant mountains were covered in mist, and rain was constantly falling. What's more, the méteo was continuing to predict rain for the next three days. Should we be delighted that our water source is now overflowing, and will keep our reservoir filled for the whole of next year; or should we worry that we will be cut off?

We recalled the momentous floods of September 2015 when 386 mm( over 15 inches) of rain fell on the causse above us, in 24 hours . This resulted in exceptionally heavy rain rushing down our tiny valley . It swept hundreds of trees away; decimated an olive orchard, and overturned forestry vehicles, burying them deep in silt . The tiny valley sides of the La Primelle river caved in; and Roland the olive grower's vegetable plot, resembled a stony scree. His rich loamy soil was no longer there. What's more our little bridge had been completely submerged by raging waters, so that we were cut off for the next three days, as were our holiday visitors. Villagers came to look at this sight from the opposite bank, but we couldn't join them. Could this be happening again ? We drove down to the maison forestière to take a look. Our tiny stream, so often completely dry in summer, was in full spate.

It was a relief to see that the bridge was still passable. However , the waters were just lapping over the top, and had clearly breached it overnight. As I took photographs, I took great care not to be swept in to that raging torrent.

Rain such as we have seen this week is unprecedented. This is not everybody's idea of what weather should be like in the South of France. Climate change is revealing itself in diverse ways. Last time , local people called such an event a 'hundred year storm.' Ten years later, is it time to take stock?

Tomorrow, we have appointments in town. Will we be able to keep them, as yet more rain is forecast overnight? I shall report back.