While the departments of the Var and Alpes-Maritimes were placed Saturday afternoon in red vigilance to the rains and floods, part of the neighborhoods of the town of Roquebrune-sur-Argens are rendered inaccessible by the rising waters.

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The municipality is one of the most affected by heavy rainfall. While the departments of the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes were placed Saturday afternoon in red vigilance to the rains and floods until Sunday morning by Météo-France, in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, part of the neighborhoods of the city are now cut off from the world, made inaccessible due to the rising waters.

Saturday, in the early evening, the town was cut in three, with a downtown area become a real island accessible only by the boats of the rescuers. The seaside is also isolated, because the roads are cut there because of the flood of the river Argens, which does not manage to flow in the Mediterranean because of the sea-blows.

Tourists find refuge in a municipal gymnasium

The third part is the district of La Bouverie, in the north, where motorists try in every possible way to move into other areas, such as the driver who risked his life on a road underwater, driving his SUV. "It says 'I have a 4X4 and I go everywhere' (...) he wanted to make his clever by wanting to pass," describes a tourist witness of the scene, at the microphone of Europe 1. "But everything is flooded, both left and right, it would have been better to turn around, "he adds. The vehicle eventually returned but the driver managed to swim back to the shore, despite the current.

A bus of tourists was also blocked, and its 47 occupants had to take refuge in a municipal room for the night. "All roundabouts and roads were closed," says a passenger to Europe 1, "and the city police advised us to stop at the gym. "We are very well treated," she says again. These travelers will be able to benefit from a hot meal, after the opening of the school canteen.

About fifty tourists from Clermont-Ferrand had to be accommodated in a communal room of the Bouverie because of the cut roads and the impossible passage of their bus. They will dine at the school canteen and spend the night in this gym. # # Meteo83 intemperiespic.twitter.com / 9BQd0L3DV3

- Jacques Thérence (@Jakterens) November 23, 2019

While waiting for a lull, the situation remains very worrying in the streets of Roquebrune-sur-Argens. In a still very heavy rain, the firefighters are overflowing, and about fifty trips have been made, as well as about fifteen hoistings.