People are now rafting through the streets of Paris due to severe flooding, according to a Saturday report.
People are resorting to fishing and rafting in the Seine River and the streets surrounding its swelled banks after water levels rose to 18 feet Saturday, reported the Daily Mail. The water levels are supposed to increase to 20 feet over the weekend.
Urban planners worry that the severe flooding might rival the 1910 flood, during which waters rose to 28 feet. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED) believes that a repeat of this catastrophic flood could cost Paris approximately $37 billion to combat, according to a 2018 report.
The flooding is also affecting tourism. The bottom of the Louvre Museum, which displays the famous Mona Lisa, is closed until Jan. 28, reported the Evening Standard. The entire city is currently on high alert, considering the fact that the Seine is usually only a height of 13 feet.
“Two floodings of the Seine river in less than two years — we have to change, we have to change the way we build this city,” Paris Deputy Mayor Colombe Brossel told CNN. “We have to understand that climatic change is not a word, it’s a reality.”
The heart of Paris is underwater — and the images are a shocking reminder the city could be overdue for a historic flood https://t.co/v1Poq1cYEx pic.twitter.com/MypH2nR0Tq
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) January 26, 2018
River Seine levels rise further as Paris braces for flood risk https://t.co/iFJiv9DDZ6 pic.twitter.com/lPZulGcjxu
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 27, 2018
Paris gets some relief after days of torrential rain but remains on flood alert as water levels in the River Seine continue to rise https://t.co/oVx8TLzWco pic.twitter.com/bopvnKzt0R
— CNN International (@cnni) January 26, 2018
WATCH:
#CrueSeine à Paris : les images vues du ciel filmées par les services de la @prefpolice à l’aide d’un drone pic.twitter.com/q5N9j8PPbN
— Préfecture de police (@prefpolice) January 26, 2018
Police say that as of Saturday, 650 people had been evacuated from their homes, according to The Telegraph.
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