France Flooding: Louvre Artwork In Jeopardy, Priceless Art Being Moved
France is in the midst of historic flooding; the rising waters are so extreme and severe that officials have had to move iconic artwork in the Louvre to prevent it from becoming damaged or destroyed. France’s Seine river burst its banks this week, following days of heavy rains in the country.
According to a CNN report, the Louvre relocated vulnerable artwork to higher ground within the museum to protect it from the worst flooding in France. The Louvre gave the world the news using its Twitter account that priceless artwork could be in jeopardy, telling patrons and the world alike that as waters in Paris continue to rise, Louvre employees will diligently try to protect invaluable artwork from damage.
A causa de las inundaciones, el #Louvre permanecerá cerrado mañana viernes día 3 para proceder a la evacuación de algunas obras.#CrueSeine
— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) June 2, 2016
According to weather reports, the heavy rains in France are predicted to continue around the nation and the Louvre, in particular, throughout the weekend, further compromising some of the world’s most precious artwork.
France has declared a state of natural disaster for the areas of the country most impacted by this week’s deadly flooding. The move was announced by France’s President Francois Hollande in a statement to French media on Thursday. The “state of natural disaster” declaration will allow local authorities to access emergency funds to help with rescues, recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of the torrential downpours targeting Europe.
[Communiqué de presse]
Déclenchement du Plan de Prévention des Risques Inondation @MuseeLouvre #CrueSeine pic.twitter.com/4YTCdSyRTR— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) June 2, 2016
According to Meteo-France, France’s worst-affected waterway is a tributary of the Seine, the Loing River. The Loing overflowed so extensively that it completely flooded the streets of the town of Nemours, France. Rescue workers had to save stranded residents from their flooded homes using boats to traverse throughout the French town.
The Loing River flooded Nemours, roughly 50 miles south of France and the Louvre, on Thursday.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited the decimated town not long after the worst of the flooding was reported on Thursday. While he was there, he promised to set up an emergency support fund for the town and other areas affected by the flooding of the Loing to help residents in desperate need of assistance.
“Nemours is not a rich city. There are people living here, in the city center, who have very small incomes.”
The same doesn’t hold true for the Seine River, which is still rising, continuing to threaten Paris, the Louvre, precious artwork, and much of metro France.
Impacts of the overflowing Seine River stretch far beyond the Louvre and priceless artworks, though. The flooding has had a much more direct economic impact on France. On Thursday, a commuter train line was partially closed because of the encroachment of the flooding waters.
The flooding has also forced many of France’s riverside cafes and attractions to close their doors and wait for the waters to receded in order to inspect the damages. Authorities in France have urged citizens and visitors alike to be cautious around swiftly-flowing and quickly rising riverbanks.
According to officials in France, the water levels of the Seine are expected to crest on Friday.
The Louvre is doing everything it can to both preserve the safety of the threatened artwork and its security. According to reports, the Louvre’s staff will be working tirelessly to both move artwork to higher ground and to make sure that it remains safe from thieves who might try to take advantage of the flooding in France.
[Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]
