Lionel Gougelot / Photo credit: Europe 1 9:05 a.m., March 1, 2024

Since November, the inhabitants of Pas-de-Calais have been victims of several bad weather and floods.

Since then, they have been desperately waiting for compensation from their insurance companies to begin repairs.

Faced with the wait, victims' associations have even called on the president of France Assurances to put pressure on the companies.

“Stay on the line, an advisor will take your call.”

This is what the victims of Pas-de-Calais have been hearing for weeks.

Their homes and businesses have been flooded three, four, even five times since November due to historic floods.

Today, these victims are desperately waiting for compensation from their insurance companies to begin repairs.

Victims' associations have even called on the president of France Assurances to put pressure on the companies.

For the occasion, Europe 1 went to Blendecques, near Saint-Omer.

“He’s ruining our house”

During the first flood in November, François' house found itself submerged under 1.20 meters of muddy water in a few hours.

“I took out the canoe and kayak because my wife doesn't know how to swim,” he tells Europe 1. In January, a new rise in water levels ravaged everything in the house.

After a conflict with the insurance expert, the couple received barely 10% of the 115,000 euros planned for the work.

"We are insured to the maximum, replacement value. We pay what we need to be well, and he, the gentleman, is ruining the house for us. He puts everything at a discount. We pay for it, otherwise I'll stop to pay insurance,” he laments. 

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"It's tiring to always have to fight. We're not thieves, we're not here to scam anyone. We just ask to have what we had," claims François' wife.

Not far from there, Stéphanie, too, has been waiting for four months for her file to be cleared to rebuild her damaged house, without result despite the commitments of the public authorities.

“Frankly, I am very angry after all of this. Because we still had a visit from Mr. Macron and the Prime Minister. But, for me, things are not moving. We feel helpless and we feel alone. Letting things drag on like this is not normal,” she emphasizes.

Daily stress for all these victims which adds to the trauma of the disaster.