France declares state of ‘catastrophe naturelle’ for early June storms

A state of ‘catastrophe naturelle’ has been declared in 123 communes in France as a result of the violent storms that hit the country at the start of June. We explain what this means.

The communes concerned are spread across 18 departments (full list below), the Journal Officiel listing from June 12 confirms.

It comes after severe storms hit from June 4-5, causing flooding and mudslides. One person died and 15 people were injured, while many farmers lost crops.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that it was "the first time in 20 years" that such a vast part of the country had suffered a storm at the same time, with 65 departments affected.

The state of ‘catastrophe naturelle’ is an official state that must be declared by the government, including the Economy Ministry and the minister for public accounts.

It ‘unblocks’ specific insurance policies and enables people who suffered damage to claim. This special compensation covers serious weather events such as earthquakes, floods and landslides and can only come after a government decree.

Once a natural disaster is declared, those affected have 10 days to make a claim and should be compensated within three months of a claim.

Read more: France's 'catastrophe naturelle' insurance system: How to claim

Communes in the following departments are included:

Allier, Côtes-d'Armor, Creuse, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Gers, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Manche, Oise, Sarthe, Seine-Maritime, Yvelines, Deux-Sèvres, Haute-Vienne, Yonne, and Essonne.

A full list of the individual communes included in the declaration, as well as the incidents concerned, can be seen here on the Journal Officiel website.

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