The level of the Seine River in Paris reached a peak of 3.54 meters on Tuesday around noon, a phenomenon that has forced the closure of fifteen river accesses and the maintenance of a "yellow" alert level throughout the Paris region. The French flood monitoring service, Vigicrues, has recorded since last Thursday a rise in the water level of the Seine in the Parisian section, which appears to have stabilized on Tuesday and could remain so in the coming days. "After the rainfall episodes of last week and this weekend, the levels of the Seine in Paris have been rising," the service states, attributing the flooding to the "propagation of waves" from the basins of the Marne, Yonne, and Loing—three tributaries of the river. This has forced the entire Île-de-France region, which includes the Paris Metropolitan Area and its surroundings, to increase its usual monitoring of the river passage due to possible "sudden or dangerous" rises in the water level, which could cause "localized flooding and damage". The rise in water level has almost doubled the usual height of the Seine, which is between one and two meters, and has forced the closure of some of its river ports, such as those located at the foot of the Louvre, Notre-Dame, or the Tuileries Garden. Additionally, some boats have had their circulation hindered in certain stretches, as the height difference with some bridges makes it impossible for larger ships to pass. A pedestrian by the Seine, named Sévérine, told EFE that she knows the security limitations in place but feels it is still possible to walk along the river since the water "has not yet covered the feet of the Zouave"—a statue that decorates the Pont de l'Alma and once served as a reference for the river's rises. The rise in water has left scenes such as flooded approaches to Notre-Dame and quays right at the water's edge, but they have remained at a much lower level of severity than experienced in other parts of the country, such as in the Garonne Valley (southwest), where at least 1,600 people have been evacuated from their homes. According to the Paris City Council, the "critical period" for this type of flooding, during which "the risk of flooding is highest", traditionally "extends from November to March", which fits the seasonality of the phenomenon. The highest recorded rise of the Seine in recent times occurred in 1910, when it exceeded 8.5 meters, while the last major flood remembered dates back to 2018, when it reached 5.84 meters.
