Fearing the ‘Flood of the Century,’ the Louvre Implements Emergency Protocols and Closes Lower Level
After days of rain, the Louvre museum has temporarily closed the lower level of its Department of Islamic Arts as part of an emergency protocol implemented to safeguard the museum’s collection from severe flooding along the River Seine.
Beginning last Thursday, rainstorms have caused water levels to rise dramatically along the river. At the time of publication, it had reached 5.19 meters (17 feet), more than double average levels, according to ABC News. As the rainfall continues, the water is expected to peak at upward of 6 meters, more than 19 feet, according to deputy mayor Colombe Brossel who spoke to the Washington Post. Authorities have suspended river traffic and a commuter train line that runs along the Seine amid fears of a “flood of the century,” according to the report.
Since Tuesday, the city of Paris has been on orange alert, the second-highest flood warning level. Authorities believe the water could rise higher than in 2016, when both the Louvre and the nearby Musée d’Orsay were forced to close after the water level reached 6.07 meters, its highest in a century. At that point, the museum said in a tweet, some 35,000 works were relocated over a period of 24 hours.