REPORTAGE
"Unfortunately for the drama of Xynthia, there was no alert," recalls Patrick Jouin, the mayor of La Faute-sur-Mer, at the microphone of Europe 1. In 2010, his town was hit hard by storm Xynthia. During the night of February 27 to 28, hundreds of residents of the Vendée village were surprised in their sleep by a flood caused by the submersion of a dyke. Assessment: 29 dead for the only commune of La Faute-sur-Mer. 53, in all of the disaster towns.
Ten years later, things have changed considerably, and a whole chain of prevention has been put in place to prevent such a disaster from happening again.
>> Find Bernard Poirette's morning show in podcast and replay here
"These SMS are more scary than anything else"
"There is a new alert system with telephone alerts, sirens that start up and a leaflet that has been distributed and on which we are informed of assembly points at height, details Renaud Pinoit, president of the association of victims.
A new prevention policy which is sometimes criticized for being overzealous. Too frequent alerts, triggered at the slightest gust of wind ... For Frédéric, a resident of La Faute-sur-Mer interviewed by Europe 1, too much is too much. "There are too many alerts. I was born on the coast, so the gusts of wind, I know them," he said. "These SMS are more scary than anything else."
"I prefer a little too much than not at all"
Criticisms that the mayor of the town hears, but which he nevertheless considers necessary. "If it is a reminder of vigilance, too bad if it is a little too much," answers Patrick Jouin. "I prefer a little too much than not at all." An "not at all" which, ten years ago, day to day, claimed the lives of 29 people, for lack of warning.