3 deaths and considerable damage
On May 20, the Var was hit by rains and floods of unprecedented violence.
This severe weather caused the death of three people, including two in Le Lavandou and one in Vidauban, and caused significant destruction in the affected municipalities.
NATURAL DISASTER
The intense rains, accompanied by a stationary cloud over the Cavalière district in Le Lavandou, led to record rainfall reaching 255 mm of water in a few hours. According to Gil Bernardi, mayor of Le Lavandou: "This situation caused colossal damage, comparable to a war scene." He added: "Suddenly and for several hours starting at 8 a.m., although the rain density reached 55 to 100 mm in town, it was the nasty phenomenon of a cloud stalling over this district that led to 255 mm of water, a record for the region. Because of the damage caused, this led, for part of our municipality, to its inaccessibility and a washed-out bridge. It is a colossal demolition like a war scene of a natural disaster complicated by the upcoming season. Our municipality is in mourning. Fortunately, a beautiful solidarity quickly emerged."
MASSIVE MOBILIZATION
Furthermore, 50 people were brought to safety in the municipalities of Bormes-les-Mimosas, Vidauban, Taradeau, La Môle, and Cogolin. The floods also deprived 635 homes of electricity, spread over several municipalities of the Var, including Bormes, Le Lavandou, Toulon, Saint-Maximin, and La Roquebrussanne, mobilizing Enedis teams to restore power. Faced with the scale of the disaster, 200 firefighters from the SDIS of the Var were deployed, reinforced by 120 firefighters from Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes de Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, as well as marine firefighters from Marseille and Sécurité Civile helicopters. The latter carried out reconnaissance missions and two helicopter airlifts. In parallel, 40 gendarmes and municipal police officers intervened to secure the affected areas. François-Noël Buffet, minister attached to the Minister of the Interior, went to Le Lavandou to assess the damage. Accompanied by François de Canson, vice-president of the Région Sud, and Gil Bernardi, he reviewed the situation at the municipal crisis center in Cavalière, followed by an operational update at the Bormes-les-Mimosas fire station. Finally, in the face of this tragedy, a wave of solidarity emerged in the region. Father Pierre Pommeret, parish priest of Le Lavandou, celebrated a parish mass on May 25 at the Saint-Louis parish church, in tribute to the victims of the severe weather.
Francine Marie – Photos Philippe OLIVIER.