On June 9, torrential rains fell on Savoie and Haute-Savoie, France, causing significant damage and mobilizing the regional emergency services. Collonges-sous-Salève, headquarters of Adventist University of France (also known as the Salève Adventist campus), was particularly affected by this weather-related event, regional church leaders reported.
Fire Brigade Interventions and Power Cuts
Firefighters were called in several times across the region, leaders reported. In Collonges-sous-Salève, according to information from Franbleu.fr, a nursing home was partially flooded. Thanks to the rapid intervention of the emergency services and the installation of a generator, the 80 residents were able to remain on site in complete safety.
The private vocational high school Saint-Vincent and a local restaurant also suffered flooding, leading to the closure of the school. The nine employees of the restaurant are without their jobs until the facilities can open again. In addition, half of the homes in the municipality lost electrical power for several hours.
Closure of the Motorway and Traffic Disruption
According to information reported by Francebleu.fr, the A40 motorway going to Chamonix was cut off from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. between Saint-Julien-en-Genevois and Annemasse, following a mudslide. The landslide, which occurred at 6:30 p.m., damaged a pipe, spreading mud over both lanes for about 50 meters (165 feet). Fortunately, no accidents or injuries were reported.
Regional officers reported that traffic was partially restored around 9:30 p.m. that night to allow stranded drivers to get out. The Mont Blanc Motorway and Tunnel (ATMB) authority has been redirecting traffic through secondary roads until the motorway is considered safe to open again, officers reported.
On the Adventist University of France Campus
The Salève Adventist campus was also affected by the bad weather, leaders of the Adventist school reported. Several facilities, including the main auditorium and the new Jean Weidner residence, were flooded. The latter had just welcomed a group of high school students from the West Indies who had come to visit key places of the Reformation. The hostel located in the basement of the building was particularly affected, soaking suitcases and personal belongings.
Despite the flooding, no injuries were reported on campus, leaders emphasized. The Adventist community showed exemplary solidarity, with residents and guests helping each other, dry their belongings and restoring the water-affected areas, they reported.
“The flooding in Collonges-sous-Salève has shown the resilience and solidarity of the Adventist community in the face of the challenges posed by extreme weather,” school leaders said. “We hope that the repair work will allow the affected facilities to be restored quickly and that life on campus can return to normal.”
The original version of this story was posted on the Franco-Belgian Union Conference news site.
