Historic downpours in Chartres
Flooded A11 Highway Causes Chaos in Eure-et-Loir, France
On August 20th, 2020, a rare weather event struck Eure-et-Loir, France, as the A11 highway was flooded, causing significant disruption to traffic and leaving hundreds of motorists stranded.
The historic rains that occurred in Chartres saw more than two months' worth of precipitation falling in just twelve hours, a sight rarely seen. This torrential downpour led to a water level of 80 centimeters on the A11 highway, forcing its closure near Chartres.
Sébastien Pezé, regional director of operations at Vinci Autoroutes, commented that an 80-millimeter rainfall in an hour is a rare occurrence, happening once every hundred years.
As a result, approximately 300 motorists found themselves stuck on the flooded highway, with many having a long wait and a frightening experience. Some motorists even had to endure a potentially dangerous situation.
Dozens of motorists were stranded, including Dominique Chevalier, who shared that he contemplated getting out of his car to push it due to engine weakness and possible water damage to the exhaust.
The flooding also affected the nearby hippodrome, with the hippodrome of Fontainebleau being completely flooded. Horses near the facility were panicked by the sudden deluge.
Five departments were under orange vigilance for rain-flooding in the Grand Est and Franche-Comté on that day, but the flooding on the A11 highway in Eure-et-Loir was particularly severe.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the regional director of Vinci Autoroutes involved in the event remains unnamed. Motorists had to wait for the floodwaters to recede before they could continue their journey.
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