Red river flood alerts remain in western France but levels begin to recede
More rain is expected at the end of the week
Flooding not seen in over a century has hit some parts of western France. Photo shows flooding of the Sarthe river in February 2026
Christine Chantepie/Shutterstock
Three departments in western France remain on a red alert for river flooding, however waterways have seen levels recede since the start of the week.
The Loire-Atlantique, Loire-et-Maine, and Charente-Maritime have all faced the highest possible warning level over the risk of river flooding for several days.
A sustained dry period at the start of this week will allow levels to recede, before a renewed bout of rain in the west of France on Friday.
The Vigicrues website charts the recent drop in levels, and for larger rivers such as the Loire, shows the predicted levels over the coming day.
Despite an improvement in conditions, alerts remain in place and residents should continue to follow safety advice: do not drive on or near flooded roads, avoid riverbanks at risk of flooding, and stay outside of basements at risk of flooding.
As of 08:00 on February 24, the red alerts are set to remain in place until at least Wednesday (February 25).
Widespread damage
The quick succession of Storms Nils and Pedro, after weeks of successive rainfall across France, led to historic river levels across much of west and south-west France.
Along the Loire in Nantes and Angers, levels were the highest seen since 1982, and along some tributaries such as the Sarthe, flooding not observed in over a century took place.
Elsewhere, the Garonne and other rivers in the south-west faced red alerts and saw severe flooding and in Bordeaux emergency plans were raised over flood possibilities.
Thousands of people have been evacuated due to flooding, with homes severely damaged across the west. In some areas, people remain unable to enter their homes.
This is the case in Saint-Georges-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire, where a dyke is at risk of breaking and has left 300 people unable to return home.
A state of catastrophe naturelle will be declared to help those affected file insurance claims, but this will be delayed until all flood risks come to an end.
Several deaths have been linked to the storms and recent flooding, including from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by generator usage during extended power outages.
Are more floods expected?
A dry week should help rivers return to mostly normal levels before the next period of rain begins.
Early forecasts show rain on Friday and Sunday, but this is unlikely to fall in a significant amount.
However, soils will remain waterlogged due to excessive recent rainfall, meaning much of the rain that falls naturally diverts into rivers and streams.
Looking forward to spring (March - May), the season is forecast to be slightly drier than normal, giving soils time to drain and the hope that further flooding can be avoided.
More generally however, the risk of severe flooding across France is on the increase.
The Groupe d’experts intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat (GIEC) warns that the removal of natural flood barriers, such as hedges, ditches, and wetlands, in lieu of large agricultural zones will continue to exacerbate the damage from flooding, as rainfall is limited in where it is naturally diverted and collected.
