Monaco Spared and Despatches Aid to Surrounding Communities Devasted by Storm ALEX

Fortunately, the passage of storm Alex left only a few limited traces in Monaco. Despite sustained gusts of wind blowing up to 80km / h, the most challenging moment was the intense episode of rain in the night around 9pm. Over 105mm of water fell in nearly an hour. Thankfully there were no casualties within the territory of the Principality; the damage observed is limited and strictly material. Monaco was spared the tragedies and loss of life experienced by neighbouring France and Italy, particularly in their mountain communities. 

These violent downpours meant that the Principality’s firefighters were mobilized for some thirty different interventions in Monaco. Most of them involved flood relief in private premises and in the second basement of the Larvotto car park where about twenty centimeters of water covered the entire surface.

The firefighters also intervened to deal with a landslide on Chemin des Révoires in Beausoleil and a fall of a tree on the prison terrace.

In total, around fifty firefighters, including more than forty in the field with around fifteen machines and around thirty police officers, were mobilized for these operations.

Grimaldi Emergency Reception Centre 

In the evening, from 6 p.m., the Princely Government had organised a reception center to accommodate possible castaways due, in particular, to the total disruption of SNCF trains and intercity buses. 350 beds were set up at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco with the support of the Carabiniers du Prince and volunteers from the Monaco Red Cross. 

In the absence of emergencies in Monaco , the accommodation centre was able to be closed at 9 p.m. Only one person needed shelter, and she was sent by the Red Cross to a hotel in Beausoleil.

The second part of the evening was much quieter with a return of fine weather at the end of the night.

The following morning, train and bus traffic on the Azure line resumed normally. All the Principality’s roads are once again open to users.

Access to the coast is also free, except that of the Solarium beach itself due to the residual swell. The ban in effect during the storm on entering and leaving the ports has also been lifted.

Monaco’s Neighbouring Communities 

Monaco’s firefighters and the Princes carabiniers have subsequently already been busy going to the assistance of neighbouring communities in the Alpes Maritimes – eight vehicles with tons of bottled water headed out in the direction of Breil and Carros. 

The Prince’s Government expresses its deepest sympathy and solidarity for the relatives of victims disappeared and impacted severely by this extraordinarily violent storm in surrounding areas. 

Monaco Firefighters have been on standby for pumping and clearing operations. The Principality is also putting its human and technical facilities and offering emergency aid to Monaco’s neighbours with whom it has strong cultural and historical links. They have suffered disproportionately during this storm and in contrast to Monaco have significant reconstruction challenges.