Floods : Arles 13 months later

by Ingrid Estephan

During the night 3-4th December 2003, the north of the town of Arles was submerged under several hundred centimeters of water. These centenary floods heavily affected two districts and an industrial park. Astounding images inundated the TV newsflashes. More than a year later, the inhabitants still suffer from the trauma, but the wounds are gradually healing. Let us say that they have learned the lesson, and that the disaster has given birth to ambitious projects.
Spotlight on several months of reconstruction…

The facts: " The phenomenon struck where we didn't expect it "

Indeed, December 3rd, 2003, nobody expected to see water rushing under the railway hoppers in the north of Arles. Neither did anyone imagine seeing two districts of the town - Trébon and Montplaisir - under several hundred centimeters of water - exactly two metres at the worst of the floods. Nevertheless, the facts are there. After several successive rainy days, added to dreadful climatic conditions, notably a strong southern wind preventing the water from flowing into the sea, the villages north of Arles helplessly watch the asphalt disappear under water. On December 1st, Graveson, Saint Etienne du Grès, Saint Rémy, Maillane and Fontvieille are hit. In night from 3 to 4th December, the flow of the Rhone exceeds 13 000 m3 per second, largely beating the records registered during the centenary floods of 1856 - quite horrific. The tension is growing in the streets of Arles. All the banks of the Rhone, notably the dikes in the Camargue, are under maximum surveillance. Houses situated on the quays are evacuated, in fear of a breach through which this water may rage. The Baux valley and the "overflow" plain, including the municipalities of Boulbon, Saint Pierre de Mézoargue and Tarascon, is flooded. In Arles, the northern part of the town is devastated by the flood. The water rushes under the railway hoppers, covering the housing areas of Trébon and Montplaisir and the north industrial park during several days. 20 000 persons are directly stricken. 12 000 are evacuated. On the whole, 750 companies suffer damages. Some (250 in the north industrial park) are submerged under two metres of water. Assistance is quickly organised, those evacuated are taken to temporary reception facilities. A medical psychological centre is organized. Unfortunately, an elderly lady died.

The means of intervention on the spot are exceptional: 500 French fire brigades, 1000 German, Italian, Belgian and Czech fire brigades and 80 fire brigades of the civil security, 120 servicemen, 100 policemen, CRS (French riot forces) and police officers cover the stricken zone. After pumping during several days, the water is evacuated. The Arles inhabitants then note the extent of damages. For some, cleaning and some work will be sufficient to restore their houses. Others will have to rebuild everything. But solidarity is omnipresent. Despite the trauma, those who were not hit comfort the flood victims. The latter, totally depressed and often discouraged, face a scene of desolation. Some people see their home totally destroyed, others have lost almost everything. More than year after the disaster, 85 families are still waiting to be rehoused. They live in mobile homes for the time being.

Report: Shortly after his arrival and assuming his functions, Jean-Luc Fabre, sub-prefect of Arles, experienced an unprecedented phenomenon in this region. Today, he draws up a first report on the floods of December 2003 - or rather a revealing estimation of the extent of the damages, which for Arles alone exceeds 80 million euros. This State representative answers our questions…

ASI : What veritable means of assistance were granted by the State for the December 2003 crisis, to respond to the urgency of the situation, notably that of the victims?

J.-L.Fabre : Firstly, those evacuated urgently were accommodated, fed, and received free care in temporary facilities. They received relief funds (300e a person + 150e per dependent child). The State granted one million euro for these funds; the Region and the County offered the same amount. Afterwards, 120 mobile homes (111 in Arles and 9 in Boulbon), and about twenty caravans were installed to accommodate families. The State covered the entire expense for the supply, the servicing and the air conditioning of the mobile homes, amounting to 3, 350 million euros. By means of the Temporary Accommodation Allowance, it also indemnified property owners who agreed to accommodate stricken persons, while the Region paid hotels for those who could not find any other solution. For several months, the State assures the entire financing of a project of urban and social work (MOUS) amounting to 427 000e, conceived to assist the victims in searching temporary or definitive housing. The MOUS project will be maintained until April 2005 by the FSUE European credits (500 000e). I also remind you that the fire brigades, teams of volunteers, young people from the so-called "problematic" areas, helped private individuals to clean up their house as soon as the water was evacuated. The State obviously contributed to the financing of these operations. Finally, it also helps the victims to rehabilitate their housing by mobilizing the ANAH funds. A first sum of 450 000e€ was foreseen for the owner-occupiers, and another of 125 000e for the owners landlords. The State holds its promises, by almost completely reimbursing all the emergency expenses engaged during the crisis by the municipalities. More than 5 million euros were thereby granted by the Home Office on the 46/91 chapter.

ASI : What actions were taken for companies ?

J.-L.Fabre : Extensive means were deployed to disencumber and clean various premises, mobilising the Army, civil engineering and fire brigade equipment, adjournment of the fiscal and social debts, compensation for part time redundancy, and a sum of 3,1 millione was granted by the Ministry of Employment. In addition to this, the Arles Chamber of Commerce opened a special office to distribute the various subsidies granted to companies by the State, Europe, the Region and the County. As regards the artisans and the storekeepers, the State attributed a sum of 4 million euros drawn from the FISAC, and 1,5 million euros from the National Agency of Holiday Checks. A 3 million euro credit is available for the small and medium sized companies on the FEDER funds. These aids are naturally additional to those granted by the local authorities. Finally, the State and the Regional council will take in charge the trainings necessary due to the renewal of the park of machines. To assist the farmers, on January 27th 2004, the National Committee of Agricultural Disasters acknowledged the classification of 27 stricken municipalities. 500 cases were registered, and 159 are being examined. The first payments are now being made. A first 1,7 million euro sum is presently available from the National fund of agricultural disasters (supplied by the credits of the Ministry of Agriculture). This amount will be increased if necessary. All the acceptable demands will be honoured. In addition to this assistance, an organisation has been set up to help the farms to get going again, also taken in charge by the State. The requirements are estimated at 5 million euros. The State will also hold its promises on this point.

ASI : What is the situation of the reconstruction of public equipment ?

J.-L.Fabre : Firstly, the French Railway network : we have reconstructed and reinforced the protections of the broken hoppers, which caused the flooding in the northern districts of Arles. The mixed Syndicate in charge of the dikes of the Rhone river and the sea walls (Symadrem*) proceeded to the necessary emergency works on the Rhone river dikes to repair the damages caused by the December 2003 floods ; the costs involved amount to 2,1 million e, 40 % of which are financed by the State. The Waterways of France (VNF), public establishment in charge of the French river domain, also assumed 40 % of the works for repairing and consolidating the river banks under its responsibility (quays and feeder canal at the lock of Arles) amounting to 3,56 million euros.

Furthermore, a program of security amenities for the Arles quays is now underway, amounting to 2,7 million euros, 40 % of which is taken in charge by the State.

Beyond the emergency situation and the consequent repair works, the " Rhone Plan ", today in phase of elaboration under the authority of the Prefect of the Rhone-Alps region, Jean-Pierre Lacroix (see below), who has been nominated "coordination prefect" for the Rhône-Méditerrané basin, will determine the other investments to be made and the other measures to be taken to better master the excesses of the river. Some will be implemented in the coming year (2005) on certain priority sectors of the river.

As for the canals, a vast program of emergency works is presently underway, in which both the State and Europe participate - FSUE and FEDER - with a 18 million e program of works on the Vigueirat canal, which threatens the urbanized areas of Arles. The State, on the credits of the Ministry of Environment, will assume 40 % of the cost. As for the other canals (Craponne, Baux valley, Alpines), 3,6 million euros of the FSUE and 2 million euro of FEDER (European capital) will be mobilised. In all, 40 million euros of works on the canals around the town of Van Gogh will be launched in the next year, of which the State and Europe will assume 40 % of the costs - without counting the participation of the Water Board, which has not yet been calculated. The needs are certainly gigantic, but since Adam de Craponne, never has so much public money been invested in this network of canals essentially dedicated to irrigation.

ASI : In the light of the announced figures and the achieved works, what remains to be done ?

J.-L.Fabre : First of all, to assure the definite rehousing of 85 families still accommodated in temporary structures. It is now necessary to ensure that they quickly recover their housing. We are doing all we can for this. The State will assure the financing of the MOUS at least until April 30th 2005. Then, encourage a process of economic revival. For that, it is indispensable to restore the confidence of the business managers situated on the stricken area, as well as that of potential investors. A construction has been planned in the North of Arles in the continuation of the RN 570 (main road) and the dike. It will make the Industrial park and the north districts almost entirely waterproof. In all, the State will dedicate 4 million euro to this work and intends to accelerate the completion of the works for 2006. Lastly, it is essential to modify the management of the dikes of the Rhone and the canals. It is notably the object of the " Rhone Plan ", involving the river itself. As regards canals, a mixed syndicate project is still under study.

ASI : On this subject and further to the floods, what lessons can be taken concerning the overall management of the Rhone ?

J.-L.Fabre : This disaster has cast the limelight on the incapacity of the protection and the insufficiency of the structures conceived to maintain the banks of the Rhone and of these main canals. We also noticed, rather too late, that a river has two banks and it is not necessarily astute to take care of the right-hand bank, if we forget the left-hand one, and vice versa. As I have already pointed out, emergency works were begun by using the police forces of the mayors or even the prefects to repair "identically" the works damaged by the floods. " Identically ", because a hydraulic hank is so complex that it is necessary to be very careful. Raising the banks, contrary to what we may think, is not necessarily the appropriate solution. On the contrary, it seems preferable to rehabilitate the river's natural fields of expansion, which men had gradually eliminated due to unbridled urbanization.

Consequently, the prefect Jean-Pierre Lacroix was put in charge of elaborating a "Rhone plan " on the whole course of the river, from Lake Geneva up to the sea. It will enable prescribing a certain number of measures, which will avoid accumulating all the problems downstream. At the same time, we must bring an end to this divided management of the banks by means of authorised syndicate associations, municipalities, associations of communes, private individuals, CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône) … We shall endeavour to establish efficient operators with sound and competent financial resources on wide sections of the river (the whole delta, for example, as from Avignon).

For the canals, in particular those that threaten the inhabited zones, the ASA and ASF systems (which date back to Henri IV or maybe François I) also showed serious limits. In my opinion, the local governments must impose themselves to replace these structures that are now out of date.

Works and orientations

Jean-Luc Masson, deputy mayor of Arles in charge of regional development, large projects, the water policy and procurement contracts, vice-president of the Symadrem, is the right man for the job when it concerns the vast and thorny subject of water and its management. Let's talk precisely about this water… A water of all the fears, all the dangers, which kindles passions to better unify the interests. Here in Arles, today we indeed learn to face it, to control it and sometimes to master it. But at first it was necessary to dress the wounds of these floods and to allocate almost 30 million euros to reinforce the safety of this town, through which the Rhone flows from the north to the south, but also irrigation channels (the Vigueirat canal) or land draining canals (the Baux valley). These last two works particularly suffered when the water level dropped. " The excessively wet banks collapsed when the water level fell. Together with the Provence Canal company, we substituted the syndicate association, which normally manages this construction, to do emergency works, explains Jean-Luc Masson. Along five kilometres, we reinforced the banks of the Vigueirat canal with a wall of planks and we rebuilt the Roy canal. "

In the residential zone, the waters also damaged the public highways and lighting, and considerably affected the pluvial network. In brief, urban works were begun, notably the total repair of two siphons on three - in the course of completion today. " From the end of December 2003, the procedures were accelerated, not to let the situation drag on. It's the first time I've seen the administration react so quickly " declared the deputy mayor. Indeed, the first repairs were completed within less than a month after the floods. The Arles local councillors constantly voted measures to ensure a maximum safety for the town and its inhabitants. Roughly speaking, the cost of the works related to the floods amounts to five times the budget of the annual municipal investment in big works and regional development. The dikes of the Rhone were also a major concern for the high-ranking civil servants. Firstly with the reinforcement of the quay foundations in the town centre, under the management of the Symadrem, then with a vaster reflection on the means of management.

Management of the Rhone and ambitions

In the short run, these famous Rhone dikes should integrate a "global strategy of flood prevention ", dixit Jean-Pierre Lacroix. This should bring an end to the constant alternation between interlocutors and administrators, according to whether one is situated on the right or left bank of the river, in the Bouches-du-Rhône or the Gard county, or somewhere else, a little higher upstream or lower downstream. This "global" vision of the river should bring coherence to all the interventions (development works, renovation of the banks, mastery of the flow…) without overlooking the initial objectives of the mixed syndicate, already existing in the Bouches-du-Rhône. " Symadrem, declares Jean-Luc Masson (vice-president of the structure), has set four main objectives : the dikes must be made stable, water-resistant and totally impermeable ". In addition to the priority missions, there is also " the management of the crises " and more precisely the constant surveillance of the dikes, " which must be all day and night in case of floods ", clarifies the Arles politician. In all cases, the Symadrem's mission is perpetuated. However, everybody agrees that it is absolutely necessary to obtain this coherence.

Concretely, the chosen project should be born in 2005. It consists in homogenizing both banks, the regions (Languedoc Roussillon, PACA and the Rhone-Alps), the Counties, and all the municipalities alongside the riverbanks, including those situated in the vicinities. Just before the end of 2004, Jean-Pierre Lacroix announced the first stage, which consists in creating a pilot committee and an office to encourage concertation and implement this strategy. In a logic of efficiency and sharp reactivity, the Rhone is composed of three sectors : " The upstream Rhone, which goes from its entry on the French territory to the South of Lyon. The downstream Rhone, which comprises all the delta area and includes the flood fields identified in the global study as having a strong incidence on the delta. The "mid" Rhone, that is between the South of Lyon and the South of Montélimar, which will benefit from dynamic measures to reduce the floods envisaged for Lyon, the major preoccupation being to manage at best the existing protections and assure the constant maintenance of the river bed ". It is important to note that a territorial committee of concertation will be appointed for each zone. Three strong actions will be achieved very quickly. It is a matter of avoiding a new disaster by protecting in priority " the densely inhabited areas or those representing strong economic stakes by mobilizing the expanding flood areas all along the of the Rhone. For this, it is necessary to master urbanization in the flood-threatened zones and behind the dikes, thanks to the establishment of the "Risk Prevention Plan"(PPR), by improving the compatibility of economic activities and the flood risks in the implantation zones. On this last point, concrete actions have already been launched with the agricultural sector and the administrators of the waterways and transport networks. " According to the schedule, a first meeting of the "downstream Rhone " will be held during January 2005 " to discuss and to establish solutions to be implemented on this geographic sector as well as the corresponding program of action". Well beyond vain words, the State has already announced the financing of a dike in the North of Arles. The zone will be completely protected against floods.

First stake : economic revival

It is almost as if the disaster of December 2003 ended here, with the economic revival of the North Arles industrial area. For the Arles Chamber of Commerce, 96 % of the stricken companies have already resumed their activities. As for the town, 99 % of the 450 concerned structures have reopened their doors. With the exception of the Lustucru case (see below), " Companies have reacted very well, confided the sub-prefect of Arles, Jean-Luc Fabre. But we cannot make a correct assessment yet. For the moment, the Commercial court has not yet recorded any more business discontinuances than in the previous years ". The very small firms were the most heavily hit. Liberal professions and farming trades greatly suffered from these floods in December 2003. However, all the small and medium sized firms reacted very well. " Beyond the traumatism and the direct losses engendered by the floods, the disaster served to strengthen the relations between the employees and the employers, to assert a social cohesion and a real solidarity ", so testified Philippe Hurdebourcq, director of industrial and international development at the Arles Chamber of commerce and industry. He was on the spot from the first hours of the disaster to support and accompany the managers struggling against the rising waters. He took part in the unique office set up to handle the activity revival demands. He went to meet the stricken managers as from mid December 2003. " This mobilization of all the institutional actors and the implementation of this emergency service enabled the managers to gain six months ". On average, the stricken structures were forced to suspend their activities one and a half to two months. More than 2000 employees were deprived of their activities and subject to layoffs. The loss is estimated at 260 million euros today. "We expected it to be much heavier", asserted Philippe Hurdebourcq. "We worked case by case, and today the majority of companies have resumed their activities. They're not in a fantastic state, but they've resumed. Only Lustucru didn't wish to reopen ". More than a year after the floods, we don't intend to preach doom and glory. Naturally, the trauma is still present, but "everything must be done to ensure that the economic activity continues ". It is at least what Jean-Pierre Lacroix announced publicly.

The employees of Lustucru give a new life to their factory

" It is the floods that provoked closing down the site " declared the president of the company Lustucru Riz, Michel Peudevin. For this company manager, the motivations of business discontinuance are not at all bound to this merciless logic of productivity and profitability. " We would have been obliged to invest 28 million euros to rehabilitate the site, without having the assurance to be protected from a new flood. And that is without counting on the duration of the works, estimated at least fifteen months ". There are plenty of arguments to try to check the increasing rumours and to calm the debate that's been raging since several months concerning the legitimacy of the decisions of the Panzani group, owner of the Arles factory since two and a half years. These arguments are scarcely founded today, especially when they question the safety of the North industrial area against floods whilst the State and the authorities constantly prove the contrary. But the hundred or so Arles employees who find themselves "laid off " particularly question this financial aspect, the 28 million euros and the figures announced by their future ex-management : " It claims that it doesn't want to invest such a sum, but the majority of the financing is assured by the County, Regional and State Authorities. They have all asserted their financial support for the reopening of the Lustucru site. Between subsidies and insurance premiums, the majority of the rehabilitation expenses were covered," asserted Serge Bonutti, CGT trade-union representative. " Besides, we made an estimation of the cost of the works for the rehabilitation of the factory. Our estimation is well below 28 million euros. It is in the order of 12 million euros. " Consequently, the Arles employees dismantle the employers' argumentation by counter expertise. They go even further by setting up a SCOP. They don't all intend to take part in this employees' company. Among the 146 persons present at the Lustucru factory in Arles shortly before the 2003 floods, 35 were internally relocated on other local sites. The 111 remaining are negotiating for a reclassification leave - equivalent to six months for those less than 50 years old, and nine months for those above 50. Since the official announcement of closing down the site in March 2004, the employees have shown that it is possible to rehabilitate the site, against hell and high water.

Today, while the negotiations with the employers have almost come to a term, their battle concerns maintaining the rice production activity in Arles. " We thought of our jobs, but also the economic impact. The factory of Arles has a role to play in rice growing, but also in the grip of the market share. We want to perpetuate this activity and create employment. Hence this idea to work hand in hand with experts to set up a company. The employees would be actively involved. They would hold the majority of the SCOP and thus be completely involved in the board of directors. The functioning would be optimized to ensure that the production be the most reliable possible, so that the employees may also benefit from this." The speech of Serge Bonutti is growing in maturity. From a militant's comments for the protection of employment, the argumentation becomes a strategic statement: " It's necessary to continue to work to valorise our region. The first vocation of the Camargue is well and truly the rice growing, in the same way as the Salt marshes or stockbreeding. The rice growing indeed allows to balance and to best manage the wet environment. We are part of this territorial management for the future, and an economic reality for Arles, the Camargue and the country ". The ambition is praiseworthy, but depends entirely upon the commitment of the Panzani group to retrocede the land and the buildings to the town council - " without the machines " so stipulates the management - for the sum of a symbolic euro. " They are committed to this ", insists the CGT trade-union representative. Indeed, it would be most inopportune for the group to go back on this commitment, especially after a succession of Round Tables in the presence of the regional Prefect and the town, county and regional councillors. Despite the fears expressed by the employees, this option does not seem to be envisaged. Questioned about this SCOP project, the management of Lustucru-Riz declares that it " remains sceptic ". But for the employees, their slogan " Lustucru will live ", placarded all over the town, seems determined to hit the headlines.