Evacuation orders have been issued in the Maine-et-Loire region of France as the Loire River continues to rise, prompting authorities to alert residents via SMS. Residents between the Louet and Loire rivers have been instructed to evacuate.
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The Denée area (near Angers, in Maine-et-Loire) is underwater due to the flooding of the Loire. | VINCENT MICHEL / OUEST-FRANCE
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The SMS alert was sent to mobile phones this Monday, February 16, at 6:36 AM. Launched by the prefecture of Maine-et-Loire, this flood alert asks all the population [to] avoid the banks of rivers
. But, more importantly, it orders residents located between the Louet and the Loire (in Saint-Jean-de-la-Croix and Les-Ponts-de-Cé) to evacuate their homes immediately
,
Read also: I need to be able to go to work tomorrow!
: Maine-et-Loire still under water, no improvement expected
evacuation is recommended
for residents of the Plaines area, due to an overflow of the Petit Louet dike
. The prefecture recommends that concerned people, if they cannot evacuate, prioritize high ground and secure property
.