House hunting in France: residents overlook the risk of flooding for the sake of location.

searching real estate, are incentivized to scrutinize disaster risk before making a purchase deal after weeks of flooding in the northernFrancethis winter. One apartment complex in Pas-de-Calais was televised in news reports due to the fact that nearby floodedhousesconstruction work was now underway to erect brand-newhouses.

There are currently 16,000 communes in France with at least one zone of potential flooding, according to the latest data as of January 2023. These can be identified using the Atlas des Zones Inondables (AZI) on the Georisques website. You can also assess your local flood risk by entering the address of yourreal estateto the search engine on the home page.

On a legal level, inclusion in an AZI does not necessarily stop the construction of new homes or extend flood-related regulations.

These measures only apply if an area is covered by a flood risk prevention plan (PPRI). This plan must clearly identify which zones are included, regulate or prohibit new construction, identify buildings and land uses in the zone, and provide flood control plans, including ways to reduce risk to existing buildings.

Experts advise thatto searchflood risk information should be used wisely: if it is ahouseby the river and the banks are low, the probability of flooding is high. Similarly,housesnear the sea, unless they are located on high hills, are prone to flooding more often than those inland.

Kluboge houses, however, are often associated with the risk of erosion and subsequent collapse into the sea. A visit to the town hall to find out the local urban plan (PLU) will show areas of the municipality where building is prohibited due to flood risk - and if your property is close to these areas, you may want to reconsider.