Maximilien Carlier, edited by Philippe Folgado // Photo credit: Charles Caby / AFP 18:37 p.m., January 07, 2024, modified at 18:38 p.m., January 07, 2024

Although the Pas-de-Calais is no longer under water, the clean-up is not yet complete in the 200 municipalities affected by the floods in the Pas-de-Calais. In addition, there will be a cold snap. This is yet another problem for the victims, whose homes, which have been devastated, are still very wet.

With a hat on his head and a scarf around his heart, Romain spent his Sunday emptying his cellar. This resident of Blendecques is now afraid of the arrival of sub-zero temperatures: "The damage is going to be even worse. When it freezes, it takes more volumes. As a result, the bricks will swell and then they will break. That's why we came to remove at least the little water that was left and we'll see."

"There is a risk of cracking"

This house has no heating and it is impossible to light the fireplace, the wood being soaked. A few metres away, a worried Sandrine observes the façade of her mother's house: "With the frost, there is a risk of cracking, because the walls are soaked with water." The urgency now is to save the house, dehumidify and dry the walls, the floor, the tiles as quickly as possible.

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Some residents protect their water meters with polystyrene and empty the pipes, as there is a risk of bursting with the cold. No resident of Pas-de-Calais will pay the insurance deductible twice. A promise made this Sunday by the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, to the inhabitants of this region, affected for the second time in two months by floods.