Rising Seine alters river cruise routes, prompts Louvre to consider flooding plan

The waters of the Seine continue to rise in Paris, cancelling river cruises and prompting the Louvre to consider moving its artworks into storage as the city raised its flooding alert to the second-highest level today (Jan. 24).

According to reports, water began overflowing into roadways along the banks earlier today, shortly after the city closed the river to all traffic. A central section of the city’s RER C urban rail line have been closed (which includes stops in a popular tourist area such as Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Musée d’Orsay, and Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower) and the situation also prompted French rail operator SNCF to cancel service as water continues to be pumped out of ventilation shafts in rail tunnels.

The Guardian reported that the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, which are both located along the riverside, are considering moving their works into storage; a Louvre official quoted in the report stated that its plan will go into effect when the Seine’s waters reach 5.08 metres above their normal level.

City officials believe that the rising waters could likely surpass the 6.1-metre level recorded in 2016, the highest since Paris suffered ‘the flood of the century’ in 1910, when the Seine rose 8.62 metres.