Floods: “We could have expropriated people who live in chalets without putting them on the street”

In Esneux, during the floods of July 2021, residential campsites located along the Ourthe suffered significant damage. Since then, residents and communal authorities have been in conflict over the terms of expropriation.

Article reserved for subscribers

Journalist at the service of society

By Frédéric Delepierre and Irène Sulmont (st.)

Published on 02/19/2023 at 17:53
Reading time: 5 mins

OOfficially, the site no longer exists. Ravaged by the floods of July 2021, the Aval de l’Ourthe area has since been emptied of its inhabitants on the orders of the municipal authorities of Esneux, for whom the site had become too dangerous. Here and there, the gutted old carcasses of wooden chalets and residential caravans remind us that families had chosen to put their suitcases down permanently in this green space bordered by the river whose eddies they enjoyed hearing. Many had their homes washed away or destroyed by the wrath of these waters on July 14, 2021. “In total, 88 out of 100 found themselves with their legs in the air”, according to Eric, a survivor. Wrapped in her candy pink bathrobe, Madame Furets resists in her caravan mounted on homemade piles.

This article is for subscribers only

With this offer, enjoy:

• Unlimited access to all the articles, files and reports of the editorial staff
• The newspaper in digital version
• Reading comfort with limited