Gloria storm: “This raises questions about spatial planning”

The passage of the Gloria storm in the Pyrenees-Orientales and the Aude was "perfectly managed" but "this raises questions about land use planning," said Secretary of State for Ecological Transition Brune Poirson on Saturday.

"On behalf of the government, it is important to be here today. I would like to salute the immense work accomplished by the State services, the emergency services, the mayors, the associations. This crisis has been perfectly managed, "she said during a visit to Claira and Argelès-sur-Mer, two Catalan municipalities particularly affected.

With the Gloria storm, the services of the State, the communities and the inhabitants showed that one could develop in a few years on a territory a culture of the risk which begins to bear fruit:
no victim was recorded on this decennial event! pic.twitter.com/2sxDqinXhq

“Here, there is feedback that has been done, with expertise. There is a risk culture, ”she said. Almost 2,000 people had to evacuate their homes overnight, but the torrential rains left no one dead or injured.

More frequent, more intense

In Spain, twelve people died and four were missing after the storm Gloria, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who linked the phenomenon to climate change.

For the Secretary of State, "the models show us that this type of event will develop in terms of frequency and intensity".

"This raises questions about land use planning, taking into account the floods, including in construction," she noted. Many evacuated homes are located in flood or at risk areas.

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According to her, the state of natural disaster will be recognized: "We are working on the perimeter concerned". She then went to the Racou district, in Argelès-sur-Mer, which is particularly exposed to swells in the east wind.

Then, @brunepoirson then went to Argelès-Sur-Mer on the racou beach where there is a double problem that of the decline of the side line associated with bad weather. The houses on Racou Beach have been buried by sand. pic.twitter.com/WtXJ6X38HT

Storm Gloria, if it was described as exceptional for its duration by Météo France, was less violent and less brutal than during the floods of October 15, 2018 in Aude (which had killed 14 people, in particular in Trèbes) allowing better anticipation and greater responsiveness from public authorities.