science

Storms in the Hérault: dozens of motorists trapped

An intense storm that struck on the night of Saturday, November 14, flooded the Hérault and left dozens of motorists trapped south of Montpellier.

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Key facts

  • On the night of Saturday, November 14, an intense storm strikes the Hérault department. After these violent storms, the area is left underwater.
  • The episode immediately takes a critical turn for road users. South of Montpellier, dozens of motorists are trapped by the flooding.
  • Trapped by the waters, these drivers can no longer maneuver their cars.

On the night of Saturday, November 14, an intense storm strikes the Hérault department. After these violent storms, the area is left underwater.

The episode immediately takes a critical turn for road users. South of Montpellier, dozens of motorists are trapped by the flooding.

Trapped by the waters, these drivers can no longer maneuver their cars.

Dozens of them are thus immobilized south of Montpellier, in the Hérault.

As the night goes on, the water rises around the stopped vehicles and enters the passenger compartments.

According to these accounts, it is impossible to get out.

On Sunday, November 15, the day after the stormy night, chaos still reigns on some roads.

Everywhere, abandoned vehicles and exhausted owners still mark the affected areas.

They remain shocked by the violence of the storm that struck them.

In another video, a Civil Security helicopter is seen searching for a 73-year-old woman, reported missing.

The rain-flood warning is lifted in the morning in the three departments placed on alert.

Dig deeper

What is Hérault?

Hérault is a department in southern France, in Occitanie, open onto the Mediterranean, where intense autumn rains can cause water levels to rise very quickly.

What is Montpellier in this account?

Montpellier is the prefecture of Hérault; the south of the urban area concentrates roads and low-lying zones where motorists found themselves stranded.

Why can a storm trap cars within a few hours?

On the Mediterranean coast, a violent storm can turn roads and low ground into sheets of water, to the point of immobilizing vehicles and flooding their interiors.

What is at stake for drivers?

Once the car is surrounded by water, maneuvering or getting out becomes dangerous, and abandoning the vehicle may be the only way out.

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