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Swollen Seine causing Paris floods

France had an especially rainy week last week, and the city of Paris is flooding. Where are the floodwaters coming from? The video above – via NASA – shows rainfall accumulation data from an international project called IMERG, generated during the period from January 17 to 25, 2018. The data show that the area where the Seine River flows toward Paris had rainfall totals greater than 7 inches (180 mm).

Thus, in Paris, the Seine has been rising and is continuing to rise. Many media sources are now looking back to June 2016, when water levels in Paris reached more than 20 feet (six meters).

Accuweather reported on Saturday, January 27, 2018:

The Seine River in Paris is expected to rise farther out of its banks through this weekend despite northeastern France catching a break from heavy rain. The flooding has already inundated roads, railways and walking paths in Paris along the river, according to The Local.

The river is projected to challenge the levels recorded during the June 2016 flooding, during which the Louvre Museum was closed for four days as workers evacuated 35,000 pieces of art.

The Louvre said it made the decision last Wednesday (January 24) to close the lower level of the Department of Islamic Arts at least through Sunday, as a precaution.

Bottom line: Videos show rainfall accumulation data over France, generated during the period from January 17 to 25, 2018, and flooding of the Seine in Paris.

Posted 
January 27, 2018
 in 
Earth

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Deborah Byrd

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