At various points on the levee that protects Amboise from a flooding Loire river, there are stair-steps so that one can have access to the river. On this one, there is a flood depth indicator going right down the middle of the steps. I believe the last time the Loire exceeded the height of the levee was in 1856 (a few year's after our house was built). It's my understanding that the waters are pretty much under control now and it's unlikely we'll ever see that happen again. The highest level (by far) that I've seen it is 3 meters (roughly 10 feet). See this earlier post.
We're rather lucky that we don't get flooding here - just the odd bushfire :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Hard to choose my favorite. Flooding bushfire flooding bushfire. I'll get back to ya.
DeleteGood thing too Stuart, I can't imagine how devastating it must be to lose all in a flood. Have been enjoying catching up on all the posts I've missed over the last few weeks..
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm looking forward to catching up on all the loose ends that crop up when on the road... including the blogging. Anyway, Happy New Year !
DeleteWe do get floods in places here... but not to that kind of height in my area. It's the spring thaw that we have to watch out for, but these days, most places are built away from the immediate vicinity of rivers.
ReplyDeleteThe river can be a double-edged sword. Beautiful but sometimes dangerous.
ReplyDelete