The heavy rains that fell on the Hautes-Pyrénées during the night from Friday to Saturday caused a flood in the Gave de Pau. The meadow of the Sanctuary of Lourdes is partially flooded, the water flooded the cave. A road collapsed in Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
The Hautes-Pyrénées department, placed on orange flood/flood alert since Friday evening by Météo France, is experiencing a flooding episode at the Gave de Pau.
In Lourdes, at the Esplanade du Paradis station, the flood peaked at 7:45am, reaching 3.20 metres, well above the 2005 flood which reached 2.55m, but below the 2012 flood when the Gave de Pau had risen at 3.49. m.
The grotto at Lourdes was evacuated this morning around 6am while the English service was taking place. The Gave water, which crosses the Sanctuary, overflowed the parapet and flooded the grotto of the Sanctuary of Lourdes.
On the other side of the Gave de Pau, there is the meadow and the light chapels where the candles burn under the water.
The sanctuary is safe. A security perimeter has been installed to prevent pilgrims and visitors from exposing themselves and approaching the Gave de Pau.
Regularly exposed to flooding, the Sanctuaries of Lourdes have procedures in place to manage this danger.
The decline has begun.
Further up the valley, the Luz Gorges road between Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Luz was closed to traffic this morning.
Authorities report that the road to Gloriettes Dam is closed to traffic. A mudslide would have occurred on this road.
An occupant of a motorhome in the Héas sector not far from Gavarnie, slightly injured, was treated by the fire department.
Traffic restrictions
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access to the Luz Keys between Argeles and Luz is closed,
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landslides have occurred and are blocking the Héas road (RD922).
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access to Luz-Saint-Sauveur and Gavarnie via the Col du Tourmalet
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access to the Aragnouet tunnel is closed from Saint-Lary
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In Aragnouet, in the Eget sector, the road has been transformed into a real river.
To the east of the department, in Aragnouet, the rivers burst their banks, turning the road into a real river.
Collapsed road in Aspe valley
In Pyrénées-Atlantiques also on orange alert, the prefecture activated the departmental operational center at 6 am.
“These unfavorable weather conditions particularly affected Valea Aspe and the municipalities of Urdos, Etsaut and Cet-Eygun. No injuries have been reported at this time, but property damage is extensive. In particular, there was a road collapse on the RN134 in the city of Urdos, between the city center and the Somport tunnel, making traffic impossible (location: PK 109 800)”, states the prefecture.
The Prefect of Pyrénées-Atlantiques has activated the RN134 traffic management plan to manage the traffic consequences.
300 people are currently without electricity, mainly in the municipalities of Urdos, Borce and Etsaut. The intervention of Enedis technicians is ongoing.