Xynthia: very minor damage

Small tree blown over by Xynthia

We fortunately escaped any serious damage from the Xynthia storm that struck France at the end of February. The only damage (minimal) is a dead tree blown over in the garden and the bird table blown over – breaking off a piece of the roof which can be easily nailed back on. We were also fortunate with the two big storms at the end of December 1999, escaping any serious damage.

Xynthia: the aftermath

Overall the current death toll from the terrible Xynthia storm is 52 (Ouest-France).  It is now clear that the Vendée and the Charente-Maritime suffered worst with 29 people killed in the Vendée – 27 in La Faute-sur-Mer, a commune on a spit of land a little to the north of La Rochelle. 

See also report from La Nouvelle République on the damage in the Vendée and Charente-Maritime including the damage to agriculture: 'Les agriculteurs de Vendée et de Charente-Maritime recensent plus de 45.000 hectares de terres envahies par l'eau salée, avec des cultures brûlées et du bétail noyé. Le ramassage des cadavres d'animaux qui flottent dans les champs est devenu une priorité en raison des risques sanitaires.'

Apart from the likely damage in the vineyards of the Fiefs Vendéens,* the rest of the Loire  vineyards seem to have escaped without serious damage, although a lot of homes were without electricity for around 36 hours. I gather in Epeigné-les-Bois the electricity was cut from 4am Sunday morning until Monday evening. Even now on Wednesday power may not have been restored to parts of Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher.

* 10.30am: Interloire have told me that fortunately the vineyards of Fiefs Vendéens escaped serious damage as did the rest of the Loire's vineyards. The vines in the Vendée are far enough from the sea not to have been affected by the flooding and the worst path of the storm missed the vineyards.  

Xynthia: reports on the storm

Reports on Sunday's violent storm which hit France early on Sunday morning.

La Nouvelle République here and here.

Presse Océan here.