After the massive rains and floods which raged in the Center-East and South-East of the territory, Prime Minister Michel Barnier promised recognition of the bad weather as a natural disaster. This regime allows for broader compensation.
© FABRICE GHIOTTI/Securite Civile/AFP
– Bad weather will be recognized as a natural disaster, announced Michel Barnier.
Never seen before “for 40 years”. Friday October 18, Michel Barnier spoke on the“episode of storms, massive rain” which fell on Thursday in the Center-East and South-East of France. “It is a trauma to undergo floods»continued the Prime Minister visiting the crisis unit, accompanied by the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau. At least 2,300 rescue interventions have been carried out since Thursday. “Nearly 3,000 firefighters, six civil security helicopters and seven reinforcement columns” were still mobilized on Friday morning to help residents in the face of bad weather, said the Minister for Daily Security, Nicolas Daragon, on franceinfo.
If the red alert was lifted on Friday morning in the Rhône, Loire, Haute-Loire and Lozère, eighteen departments remain on orange alert. “The Cévennes episode is over, a few showers are still possible, but not comparable to the rainy episode of the last two days”specifies Météo France on its site. According to Enedis “4,000 homes” are still without electricity in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. There are 1,900 in the Loire, 600 in the Rhône, 500 in Ardèche and 500 in Haute-Loire. In Dordogne, 1,900 homes were without power on Friday October 18.
Towards recognition of the state of natural disaster caused by bad weather
“We must prepare for such increasingly frequent episodes due to climate change”declared Michel Barnier. Faced with the violence of Thursday’s floods, the head of government says he thinks “to all the people, all the residents and traders affected in their daily lives and who have experienced trauma”. “We will activate, with Bruno Retailleau, the natural disaster process, so that compensation can be implemented for those affected”added the tenant of Matignon.
This is good news for those affected by the floods. Indeed, the natural disaster regime allows exceptional circumstances for compensation. But be careful, for this, an interministerial order recognizing the state of natural disaster must be published in the Official Journal. It will specify the municipalities that can benefit from this qualification as well as the periods concerned and the nature of the damage caused by the natural disaster. Furthermore, to benefit from this scheme, you must be insured against natural disasters. Insurance “multi-risk home” automatically understand this clause. Failing this, you may also have subscribed to a special subscription which insures you against this risk.
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30 days to file a claim
Flood victims must file a claim with their insurance company within 30 days of publication of the natural disaster order. You must ensure that the municipality in which you live is classified in the natural disaster zone. The municipalities concerned have 24 months after the flood to send a file recognizing the state of natural disaster to the prefect of the department.
The disaster declaration must be sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt and contain a precise description of the disaster, specifies the government on the Public Service website. The victim must also send a quantified list of all lost or damaged objects as well as proof of the existence and value of the goods. It is possible to attach an estimate of the loss for people who have taken out insurance against operating losses. The victim can also specify the damage caused to third parties when this is the case.
Guarantee ceilings which limit compensation
Only property covered by the insurance contract is compensated. Indirect costs are not affected except for emergency rehousing costs. Guarantee ceilings limit the amount of compensation. They are indicated in the insurance contract. In addition, a deductible applies to compensation for the loss. Its amount is 380 euros for homes or any other property for non-professional use and 1,520 euros when the damage is the consequence of a movement of land due to drought or rehydration of the soil. A provision for compensation must be paid within two months after submission of the estimated state of damage. The entire compensation must be paid within a maximum period of three months
“We need a budget that is up to the situation, this is not the case today”reacted the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, on BFMTV on Friday. “I expect the national representation to take up this subject. I don’t know if we still have to wait for tragedies to understand that it is an absolute necessity to invest in adaptation to climate change.”added the minister expected in the Loire and Ardèche. “Today we are at an unprecedented level of declared natural disasters and we still have two and a half months before the end of the year”explained the minister indicating “the bulk of disasters generally happen at the end of the year, not in October”. Agnès Pannier-Runacher says she is certain “that the Prime Minister will take stock of the subject” as the review of the 2025 budget opened.
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