Flooding Impacts Businesses in Charente-Maritime, Echoing Past Disasters

Published on 20/02/2026 19:22

Reading time: 3min

The bad weather persists across France, with ongoing floods expected to “persist all weekend or beyond” in Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, and Charente-Maritime . The Charente river has not yet reached its peak, anticipated on Saturday in Saintes. Approximately 600 homes have been evacuated, and over 1,300 are flooded. Dozens of businesses in the area are temporarily closed, with some facing extended closures until floodwaters recede.

Economic Impact on Local Businesses

Traders in Saintes and Chaniers are bracing for economic losses, recalling the damaging floods of 2021, and 2023. Eric, a tobacconist in Chaniers, reports a 30% decrease in turnover daily due to blocked roads, particularly the Cognac-Saintes axis. “There aren’t many people, it’s a 30% loss in turnover per day,” he stated. He remembers the losses suffered during the 2023 flood, amounting to approximately €28,000, which were not reimbursed as the event was not officially recognized as a natural disaster.

In Saintes, approximately fifty streets, paths, and dead ends are partially flooded, limiting travel. Marius, a bar manager, notes that while there are curious onlookers, they are not contributing to sales. “There are people, there are curious people, it’s good curiosity, but it doesn’t consume anything,” he said, anticipating a 30-40% decrease in revenue this weekend.

Océane, a new restaurant owner who opened on February 12th, is too experiencing a downturn. She had hoped for around twenty customers per day but is currently serving only ten. She observes that potential customers are hesitant to linger due to the risk of being stranded by rain.

Essential Workers Face Challenges

Béatrice, a home help and cleaning lady, faces difficulties commuting, having to abandon her car 300 meters away due to floodwaters. Despite the challenges, she continues to work, though her customer base has significantly decreased from ten to just two. “We have no choice, we have to go to work,” she emphasizes.

Support for Businesses

Similar to the response to the 2021 flood, the Saintes agglomeration is establishing a support unit to mitigate losses for local businesses . The February 2021 flood impacted areas upstream and downstream of La Baine (Chaniers) .