The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Earthquake in Teil: one year later, "600 housing units remain uninhabitable"

2020-11-11T10:20:49.477Z


In this village of Ardèche hit by an earthquake on November 11, 2019, demolitions have started. The town deplores 200 milli


A year ago, the earth was shaking in Ardèche.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 hit Le Teil and its surroundings with full force.

"This November 11, 2019, the weather was fine, no one could imagine what was going to happen," recalls Jean-Yves Hernoux, one of the representatives of the Collectif des sinistrés du seisme.

At 11:52 a.m., however, an earthquake of rare violence made the Ardèche village falter, causing the collapse of many houses, structural cracks in hundreds of buildings, schools, churches, town hall ...

The inhabitants remember "a dull noise, like a cracking, a terrible detonation, the impression of having a train derailed in front of you".

And a whole world that is falling apart.

Because, overnight, about 2,000 inhabitants, or a quarter of the population of Teil, found themselves homeless, affected.

"The earthquake caused 200 million euros in damage," recalls the mayor of the town, Olivier Pévérelli.

“850 evacuation orders were taken, 600 homes are still uninhabitable today.

"

"Stays everywhere in the town"

If the surge of solidarity that followed the disaster allowed the Ardèche village to overcome its pain, the emotion remains today strong among the inhabitants.

“Everyday life brings us back to the earthquake.

There are props everywhere in the town to support weakened constructions, the balconies of buildings.

It's very difficult.

The wound is not closed ”, testifies Jean-Yves Hernoux, who is engaged in an administrative marathon, within the Collective of the disaster victims of the earthquake, to support the victims in their procedures for compensation with the insurers.

“Today, 50% of cases are well under way.

But it is an everyday struggle.

"

Symbols of this revival of Teil, the old stone houses of the Rouvière district - one of the most affected - where entire sections of the walls had collapsed, have been razed in recent months.

“We are going to rebuild.

The permit has been filed, ”announces a local couple whose second home did not survive the earthquake.

He hopes to see his new home emerge in the next two years, "if all goes well."

Olivier Pévérelli, the mayor (PS) of Teil, believes that it will take a decade "to rethink the village.

There was the earthquake, then the Covid-19.

People's expectations have changed.

They want green spaces, to move around on foot.

“From January, the presentation of a first comprehensive urban study of downtown Teil should allow the municipal team and the inhabitants of the municipality to definitively turn the page of November 11, 2019, and project themselves into the future.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2020-11-11

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.