1910 Great Flood of Paris

The 1910 Great Flood of Paris (French: Crue de la Seine de 1910) was a catastrophe in which the Seine River, carrying winter rains from its tributaries, flooded the conurbation of Paris, France. The Seine water level rose eight meters (more than 26 feet) above the ordinary level.^[1]

Chronology

During the flood on Quai de Passy

In the winter of 1909–1910, Paris and the surrounding area experienced higher than normal rainfall which saturated the ground and filled rivers to overflowing. In January 1910, Parisians were preoccupied with daily life and lulled into a false sense of security because the Seine's water level had risen and fallen again in December. Consequently, they largely ignored reports of mudslides and flooding occurring upriver. They were also slow to notice warnings signs within the city as the Seine's water level rose eight meters (26.2467) higher than normal;^[2] its water began to flow much faster than normal, and large amounts of debris appeared.^[3]

By late January, water pushed upwards from overflowing sewers and subway tunnels, then seeped into basements through fully saturated soil and from the sewer system that got backed up, which led to the basements of several buildings sustaining damage.^[4] The river did not break its banks within the city, but flooded Paris through the tunnels, sewers, and drains. The larger sewer tunnels, which had been engineered by Baron Haussmann and Eugene Belgrand in 1878, worsened the destruction caused by the 1910 floods.^[5] In neighboring towns both east and west of the capital, the river rose above its banks and flooded the surrounding terrain directly.

Winter floods were normal in Paris but, on 21 January, the river began to rise more rapidly than normal. This was treated as a sort of spectacle and people actually stood in the streets watching the water rise.^[5] Over the course of the following week, thousands of Parisians were evacuated their homes as water infiltrated buildings and streets throughout the city, shutting down much basic infrastructure. The infrastructure was more vulnerable to flooding because most of it was built within the sewage system in order to avoid cluttering the streets.^[4]

Police, firemen, and soldiers moved through waterlogged streets in boats to rescue stranded residents from second-story windows and to distribute aid. Refugees gathered in makeshift shelters in churches, schools, and government buildings. Although the water threatened to overflow the tops of the quay walls lining the river, workmen were able to keep the Seine back with hastily built levees.

After the river invaded the Gare d'Orsay rail terminal, the tracks sat under more than a meter (3.28 feet) of water. To continue moving throughout the city, residents traveled by boat or across a series of wooden walkways built by government engineers and civilians.

On 28 January the water reached its maximum height at 8.62 meters (28.28 feet) above its normal level.^[4] The Seine finally returned to normal levels in March.

Consequences

Estimates of the flood damage reached some four hundred million francs, or $1.5 billion in today's money. The flooding lasted nearly a week, according to one report.^[6] Remarkably, despite the damage and duration of the flood, no deaths were reported.

There were fears that an outbreak of disease would occur after debris from flooded homes piled into the streets, but no significant outbreak occurred.^[3]

Literature and media

The Knowledge of Water by Sarah Smith, Ballantine, New York (1996) ISBN 0-345-39135-7
The flood provided the setting for the 2011 animated film A Monster in Paris.
In Stealing Mona Lisa (2011) by Carson Morton, the flood is the setting of the climax of the novel. ISBN 9780312621711
In Bertrand Bonello's 2023 film, The Beast, the flood is depicted.