The bad weather had left ten dead and eight disappeared in October 2020. In total, the reconstruction will have mobilized a billion euros of public money.
Le Monde with AFP
Reconstruction is progressing fast in several Alpes-Maritimes valleys, almost two years after the bad weather that had struck them, killing ten, eight disappeared and the most serious damage in France since 1945. “At the end of 2022 or beginning 2023, 80 % of the reconstruction will have been carried out, “announced, this week, the prefect delegated to the reconstruction of these valleys of the Nice hinterland, Xavier Pelletier, evoking” exceptional work “with the France Agency -Hurry. Appointed a few days after the disaster of November 2, 2020, he is still hard at work on this titanic project, and will participate in the commemorations, Sunday, in several of the affected localities.
After this catastrophe following a Mediterranean episode -regular phenomenon in the south -east of France, resulting in very heavy and very sudden rains sometimes accompanied by hail and strong winds -, damage on public infrastructure had been estimated at 720 million euros in the Vésubie valleys, Tinée and Roya, close to Italy.
“The rest of the work will be carried out in the next two years,” said Xavier Pelletier, explaining that the state envelope amounts to a total of 615 million euros. If we add the investments made by local communities, including 215 million euros borne by the Alpes-Maritimes department, more than a billion euros will have been engaged by the public authorities.
“Reconstruction work is well advanced, with a mobilization which has been very strong and very effective”, recognizes Eric Ciotti (Les Républicains), deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes, while deploring a return to the “pangs of technocracy and French blockage “on certain construction sites.
” It’s miraculous “
In total, some 250 buildings, representing 317 owners, are eligible for the Barnier fund, a device which allows the State to acquire and then destroy buildings considered in risk zone, for compensation for their owner at the price of The market value of their well before the storm. “Half of the acquisitions have already been made, as well as 60 % of the hundred demolitions to be carried out,” announced the prefect Pelletier. According to him, the people who refused to enter this device and who must be expropriated are counted on “the fingers of one hand”.
In certain localities, as in Fontan (around 350 inhabitants), in Roya, the Barnier Fund was used not to destroy but to “rebuild in Potemkine Village mode”, notes Mr. Pelletier: “This means that some Buildings, without them becoming habitable, will be rebuilt identically to consolidate neighboring buildings and preserve the aesthetics. “
“This is miraculous what was done, the work has been gigantic, we now circulate normally to Nice or Menton and we will even save the winter season with the road connection of the Casterino station” , a hamlet long remained only accessible on foot, recognizes the mayor of Tende (2,200 inhabitants), Jean-Pierre Vassallo.
Some black dots remain, he believes nevertheless. “There are reinforcement works that are delaying and this prevents around fifty families from Tende from having their homes which had been struck by an evacuation decree,” he said. The village will also have to wait another year before the reopening of the road tunnel to Italy whose work, at the expense of the Italians, is still in progress. The reopening of this work, vital for this border city, is scheduled for October 2023.