Many bridges have been destroyed -

LIONEL URMAN / SIPA

  • Emmanuel Macron encouraged to rebuild “very quickly” the devastated valleys in the Alpes-Maritimes.

  • According to the communities, the note amounts to just under 1.5 billion euros.

In the disaster-stricken Riviera valleys after the passage of storm Alex, Emmanuel Macron encouraged Wednesday to rebuild "very quickly".

But "in a resilient and sustainable way, by limiting the artificialization of soils, by preserving natural spaces to prevent [disasters]", recommended the President of the Republic.

Aid and the creation of an emergency fund of 100 million euros have been announced.

At least that will have to.

Because the note of these floods, in addition to the terrible human toll, risks being salty.

As of Sunday, the Saretec group, a risk management consulting firm, assessed the bill at 315 million euros.

Including 130 for insured property, damaged houses, businesses and 185 others for road infrastructure.

Well over a billion euros

An estimate, based "only on observations by satellite imagery" and for "identical repairs" according to these experts, that local authorities have largely reassessed since ... to nearly 1.5 billion euros.

Just on behalf of the Alpes-Maritimes departmental council, President Charles-Ange Ginésy "announced to Gérald Darmanin an assessment of the destruction of buildings, water networks and road networks at 840 million euros", indicates the community.

Of which 500 million for the only reconstruction of "35 km of roads" and "ten major structures destroyed in Roya".

The department, which will contract a loan of 200 million euros, also provides an envelope of 250 million for the creation of "containment systems and protection against floods", just to limit the occurrence of new tragedies.

Up to 70 km of roads to rebuild

A note that the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolis would increase by another 600 million euros, she said.

Of this total, 435 million would be needed only for the road network of the Tinée and Vésubie valleys, of which it is the manager.

"These are 30 to 35 kilometers of roads that need to be rebuilt," says the president of the community Christian Estrosi.

The inventory of damage also includes the destruction of structures or bridges, as well as the reinforcement of landslides, rock falls and collapses.

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Alpes-Maritimes

"Rivers will no longer flow in the same places", analyzes a hydrologist

Storm Alex

State of natural disaster recognized for 76 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes and Côtes d'Armor

  • Economy

  • Infrastructure

  • Bridge

  • Road

  • Severe weather

  • Storm

  • Nice