The famous Seine River is currently flooding in Paris, leading to the closure of some of the quays along its banks

undefined 5 mars 2024 undefined 11h39

The Editor

© Franck Legros / Shutterstock

Since the end of February, with torrential rains falling on the capital, the level of the Seine keeps rising. So much so that a large part of the quays had to be closed this Monday, March 4, especially at the level of the Pompidou road.

Oh la la! The Seine has been on yellow alert since February 24th, but today, March 5th, the river's flood has already reached a height of 3.93 meters! Experts say the water level is still going up and will peak on March 6th.


Safety measures

As we await the predicted flood peak of 4.23 meters tomorrow, the City of Paris has decided to take proactive steps (because prevention is better than cure), by closing off several sections of the quays submerged by the waters. This includes a large portion between the Eiffel Tower and the Garigliano Bridge, in the 16th arrondissement, as well as quai des Orfèvres, Pointe du Vert Galant, Célestins, quai Henri IV, and quai de Bourbon. While most of these lanes are normally closed to cars, they are currently inaccessible to pedestrians, and cyclists as well.


Navigation Restrictions

Unfortunately, this flood not only affects cars on the road but also causes issues for boats (even though they can't drive on land). Due to the higher water level in the Seine, some large boats are unable to pass under certain bridges in Paris. Certain maneuvers like U-turns are also not allowed. If the water level reaches above 4.30m, all traffic will be completely prohibited.

If this flood is already more significant than the one the French capital experienced in December 2023 (which had reached 3.23 meters), then everyone can rest assured, we are still far from the record at 8.62 meters from 1910. For now, Parisians should keep their feet dry.