Le Figaro Nice
For months, years for some, residents of the
Les Orangers
residence , at 21 route de Canta Galet, in the Madeleine district of Nice, have been warning about water infiltration in their building.
“I have been here since the residence was delivered in 2012. Even at the time, I was unable to access my apartment directly because of a flood
,” remembers Alrick, tenant of the 2nd floor.
“As my mother told me, that should have alerted me
,” he quips.
But this time, the situation is much more alarming.
The waterproofing of the roof, already precarious, did not at all resist the downpours which fell on the Riviera capital last weekend.
Water seeped everywhere.
In the apartments, in the common areas and even the electrical panels.
Flooded, the one on the ground floor caught fire before causing a general short circuit and giving up the ghost.
Result: the elevator has been broken for six days, there has been no hot water since Tuesday and not an ounce of electricity since Wednesday.
“Everyone is at the end of this situation!”
, plague Fatima, present with a few neighbors in the lobby of the building Friday afternoon while an electrician is busy restoring the power.
“We had stocked up on food for
Ramadan
, everything is lost, good to throw away
,” Tarek laments in turn, illuminating the common areas with the flash of his phone.
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“It’s unbearable on a daily basis”
The electrical panel on the ground floor still bears traces of the fire which caused the short circuit and general power outage.
Nicolas Daguin / Le Figaro
A sheet is taped to the elevator on which we can read
“device stopped”
for
“water damage”
since March 2.
A state of affairs which ulcerates Alrick.
He cannot digest this time spent
“under house arrest”
, in his words.
And for good reason, the young man is disabled and only uses a wheelchair.
However, without an elevator, leaving or returning to your apartment is a real way of the cross.
“For work, at the start of the week, I had no choice but to call the firefighters to come and help me get down
,” he says.
Otherwise, it is residents or relatives who come to his aid.
“It’s unbearable on a daily basis
,” he annoys, having been trying to leave the building for years.
“I applied for social housing four years ago, but I’m still waiting
,” he whispers, a little disappointed.
It’s more dismay than anger.”
His only relief is to be able to count on relatives who will accommodate him until the situation is more or less restored at
Orangers.
“I spent Wednesday night at my grandfather's and there the weekend at my brother's
,” he explains.
A sheet is taped to the elevator on which we can read
“device stopped”
for
“water damage”
since March 2.
Nicolas Daguin / Le Figaro
Those who are not lucky enough to find shelter with family will be accommodated throughout the weekend in a hotel, at the expense of the social landlord CDC Habitat.
Contacted by
Le Figaro
, he indicated
“do everything possible so that Enedis can restore electricity by this evening.
All electrical panels are changed floor by floor
.
And to specify that
“precautionary measures are being taken to avoid further infiltration due to the weather which is deteriorating this weekend, among other things the roof terrace is covered”
.
“They will find their tarpaulin in Saint-Laurent-du-Var!”
, Alrick grumbles.
Followed by Tarek:
“Half is already gone!”
In any case, everyone intends to be compensated for the damage suffered.
“I had to board my cats for the weekend, it will cost me 200 euros.
Plus the private transport that I had to call to get around.
I intend to send them the invoices!”
, warns Alrick.
Also read: The weather forecast for the weekend: rough weather with heavy precipitation and strong winds until Sunday
Further precipitation this weekend
However, no one seems very optimistic for a return to the residence at the beginning of next week.
“And above all, we would like to be sure that we are not in danger in the building!”
, insists Fatima.
The Alpes-Maritimes department, like those of Ardèche and Var, will be placed on orange alert for rain and flooding from Saturday.
The expected accumulations in the east of the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes are between 100 and 150mm locally.
In light of these new bad weather conditions, the promise of a tarpaulin to protect the Nice building suddenly seems very insignificant.