paris under the water-2018

( January 2018 - Quai de l'Hôtel de ville - photo ©Behind the Seine)

Last week Parisians have been facing a new river Seine's flood, similar as the June 2016 flooding when several monuments, including the Louvre museum, were closed as a result.

The Zouave statue is the most famous feature on the Pont de l'Alma, as it serves to monitor the floods of the Seine.

The Pont de l'Alma spans the Seine halfway between the Eiffel tower and the Invalides and was inaugurated by Napoléon III in 1856.

The Zouave statue traditionally serves as an unofficial standard in order to indicate the rise in the water level of the Seine.

The river level is deemed alarming when water reaches the feet of the Zouave!

(Pont de l'Alma - the Zouave - June 2016- photo ©Behind the Seine)

The year 1910 is known as the year of the 'Flood of the 20th Century'.

Waters indeed rose by 8.62 m and reached the shoulders of the Zouave statue!

On June 4, 2016, at 2am, the Seine reached its peak at 6,10m.

On January 29, 2018 the river level was up to 5,82m.

(Pont Alexandre III - January 2018 - photo ©Behind the Seine)

As water levels touched 6.1 metres quayside roads and tunnels have been closed and all river traffic, including cruise boats and water taxis, halted as vessels are unable to pass under the bridges.

(Quai des Tuileries - January 2018- photo ©Behind the Seine)

Houseboat residents have been advised to move out.

Also very problematic the flood caused disruption to the city’s transport network when urban rail lines were shut down or closing several stations.

(June 2016 - Quai de Bercy- photo ©Behind the Seine)

(Pont Alexandre III - June 2016- photo ©Behind the Seine )

In French we say “the Seine goes out of her bed “to name the flood. That sounds so lyrical and goes well with some amazing and beautiful images that can be captured.

(Quai d'Orsay - June 2016- photo ©Behind the Seine)

(Pont Alexandre III - June 2016 - photo ©Behind the Seine)

(June 2016- photo ©Behind the Seine)

(Quai d'Orsay - June 2016- photo ©Behind the Seine)

This is to remember another dramatic event when Paris suffered the "flood of the century" in 1910.

In January 1910, the Seine reached 8.62 metres threatening Paris and its surroundings by flooding on an unprecedented scale. That was eight meters above its normal level.

On 21 January 1910, following months of high rainfall a violent storm swept across France.

Winter floods were a normal occurrence in Paris but, on 21 January, the river began to rise more rapidly than normal.

Over the course of the following week, thousands of Parisians evacuated their homes as water infiltrated buildings and streets throughout the city, shutting down much of Paris’ basic infrastructure. Police, fire-fighters, and soldiers moved through waterlogged streets in boats to rescue stranded residents from second-story windows and to distribute aid.

Refugees gathered in makeshift shelters in churches, schools, and government buildings. Although the water threatened to overflow the tops of the quay walls that line the river, workmen were able to keep the Seine back with hastily built levees.

To continue moving throughout the city, residents travelled by boat or across a series of wooden walkways built by government engineers and by Parisians themselves.

The Paris region suffered the bulk of the damage. With approximately 20,000 buildings and half the underground rail system flooded, the city experienced a slowdown in economic activity.

By chance despite 35 days of flooding, thousands of evacuations and an estimated $1.5 billion (accounting for inflation) in damages, not a single person died during the flooding. This was partially thanks to the police and armed forces who’s well organized efforts minimized the effects of the disaster. The water achieved its highest level after 10 days and after 35 days the water was gone completely.

Thanks to the photographers of that time, we have amazing photographic archives of this unusual and historical event.

To conclude this post on the Parisian floods, I want to share the link to this blog Twisted Sifter where I have found the following original point of view on the topic by the artist Julien Knez aka Golem13 - Then and Now: The 1910 Great Flood of Paris vs 2016 Floods.

http://twistedsifter.com/2016/06/then-and-now-1910-great-paris-flood-vs-2016-floods/