Dordogne, Nord: ‘Natural disaster’ claims open for hundreds of areas

A natural disaster - catastrophe naturelle - has been recognised in five Dordogne communes and 24 areas in Nord, following floods and droughts occurring this and last year.

If the government declares a catastrophe naturelle for an area in its official legal publication, Le Journal officiel, people whose property has been damaged by the event must make a claim within 10 calendar days from publication of the decree.

Natural disaster coverage is a compulsory component of standard multi-risk house insurance and so companies will be compelled to cover any damage directly linked to the event as long as a claim is made within the deadline.

Indirect costs – such as the cost of rehousing and loss of earnings – are not covered unless mentioned in the insurance contract.

What should I do if I am affected?

You can normally open a claim by telephone, text or email. Supporting documents can be sent after the 10-day deadline as long as the process has already been initiated.

Claimants will need to provide a description of the damage, a list of lost or damaged items and where possible, proof of ownership and value such as bills and photographs.

What if I’m a second-home owner and wasn’t there when the damage occurred?

There is no extension of the 10-day deadline for second-home owners, but some second-home insurance policies will allow for an expert to visit your property and assess the damage if you were away when the natural disaster occurred.

Dordogne

In Dordogne, the communes of Léguillac-de-l’Auche, Proissans, Vézac, Vitrac and Sarlat-la-Canéda are subject to catastrophe naturelle measures after the flooding and mudslides which affected the area between September 8 and 10, 2021.

A decree was published in Le Journal officiel on September 26.

In Sarlat, storm damage caused between September 8 and 9 was particularly severe, with repair works on the RD704 road still in progress.

Residents and second-home owners can find out more about what they need to do by calling Lilian Gilet from the town’s mairie on 05 53 31 53 08.

Several other departments affected by these extreme weather conditions are detailed in this Journal officiel decree.

Nord

Between April and September 2020, 18 communes in Nord department were affected by ground movements linked to drought.

For weather events taking place between April 1 and September 30:

• Bachy
• Glageon
• Hautmont
• Pont-sur-Sambre
• Raillencourt-Sainte-Olle
• Wahagnies

Between April 1 and June 30:

• Bouvines
• Ennevelin
• Eringhem
• Louvil
• Marquillies
• Mouvaux
• Saint-Sylvestre-Cappel
• Thumeries
• Tourmignies
• Villeneuve-d'Ascq
• Waziers
• West-Cappel

From June 4 - July 16, 2021, a further six towns suffered floods and mudslides following heavy rain. These weather conditions caused considerable damage to homes and businesses.

The affected towns include:

• Preux-au-Sart, for floods and mudslides that occurred on June 4, 2021.
• Ferrière-la-Petite and Marpent, for floods and mudslides which took place on June 4, 2021.
• Esnes, for floods and mudslides which took place on June 19, 2021.
• Anor, for floods and mudslides occurring on July 14, 2021.

• Bousignies-sur-Roc, for floods and mudslides which happened on July 15 and 16, 2021.

Decrees were published in Le Journal officiel on September 26 and 28.

However, a natural disaster has not been recognised in Halluin after the town was affected by heavy rains on June 4, 2021.

Elsewhere in France

Many communes located around France have been affected by ground movements linked to drought occurring in:

• Ain: Ambérieu-en-Bugey between April 1 and September 30, 2020 and Guéreins and Hautecourt-Romanèche between July 1 and September 30, 2020.
• Allier: Dompierre-sur-Besbre from April 1 to June 30, 2020, Saint-Pont and Vichy from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
• Ardennes: Boulzicourt from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
• Corrèze: Ligneyrac and Troche from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
• Côte-d'Or: Montbard from April1 to September 30, 2020 and Combertault, Couchey, Meursault and Saulon-la-Rue from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
• Drôme: Aouste-sur-Sye from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Haute-Garonne: Blagnac, Cugnaux, Fonbeauzard, Merville, Muret and Vigoulet-Auzil from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Isère: Claix from April 1 until June 30, 2020, Pommier-de-Beaurepaire from April 1 until September 30, 2020 and Trept from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Jura: Conliège from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Loire: Saint-Chamond from April 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Lot: Catus, Crayssac, Nuzéjouls and Thédirac from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Marne: Pargny-lès-Reims from April 1 until September 30, 2020 and Arrigny, Courcelles-Sapicourt, Giffaumont-Champaubert, Jussecourt-Minecourt from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Haute-Marne: Eurville-Bienville, Silvarouvres and Voillecomte from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Meuse: Autrécourt-sur-Aire, Montblainville and Vaucouleurs from April 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Moselle: Augny, Bisten-en-Lorraine, Lixing-lès-Rouhling and Uckange from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Oise: Choisy-au-Bac and Le Meux from July 1 from September 30, 2020.
• Orne: Bellavilliers and Sablons sur Huisne from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
• Puy-de-Dôme: Thiers from April 1 until June 30, 2020 and Saint-Beauzire from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
• Bas-Rhin: Geiswiller-Zœbersdorf and Schnersheim from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Rhône: Châtillon and Dardilly from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Haute-Saône: Port-sur-Saône and Pusy-et-Épenoux from January 1 until March 31 2019 and Baulay, Boulot and La Côte from July 1 2020 until September 30, 2020.
• Saône-et-Loire: Chânes from July 1 from September 30, 2020.
• Sarthe: Bonnétable, Saint-Aubin-des-Coudrais, Saint-Michel-de-Chavaignes, Thorigné-sur-Dué and Théligny from July 1 from September 30, 2020.
• Seine-et-Marne: Brie-Comte-Robert, Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames, Dammarie-les-Lys, Lognes, Marolles-en-Brie, Saint-Germain-sous-Doue, Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes, Solers and Torcy from July 1 from September 30, 2020.
• Yvelines: Châteaufort and Saint-Cyr-l'Ecole from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Haute-Vienne: Limoges and Lussac-les-Eglises from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Yonne: Fouchères from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Essonne: Breux-Jouy from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Val-de-Marne: Perreux-sur-Marne and Sucy-en-Brie from July 1 until September 30, 2020.
• Val-d’Oise: Montigny-lès-Cormeilles from July 1 until September 30, 2020.

A decree was published in Le Journal officiel on September 28.

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