Paris Prepares for the Worst With a Flood Drill

The 1910 flood of Paris saw much of the city submerged as the River Seine rose 26 feet above its normal level. In preparation for what continues to be a looming threat of a repeat, Parisian first responders carried out drills over an 11 day period (March 7 to March 18th) to practice in case of a real emergency. The drills, known as Operation Sequena 2016, were arranged by France’s Urban Planning Institute. Serina Sandhu writes in The Independent that part of the exercise is also to test how different agencies communicate in the time of crisis.

The most important part of the exercise, they said, was for the big operators such as the Interministerial Crisis Centre and regional authorities to exchange information on crisis management. The chain of decision-making will also be tested.

The exercise will also test how almost 90 public and private institutions such as hospitals, energy firms and waste disposal companies cope with the situation, France 24 reported.

A flood of this magnitude could result in damages of over $20 billion dollars, affecting as many as 830,000 people who live in the flood zone.