Floods, Aude and 3 other départements, January 2020
1,479 hectares of flooded area observed by Copernicus EMS over the mapped sectors
724 hectares in Natura 2000 or under regulatory protection
49% of the observed flooded area209 protected animal species recorded within reach in the ten years before the flood
7 animal species threatened on the national Red List, protected or not
birds: by their population in the flood's season
- Communes declared
- 213
- Dates per the orders
- 19 to 24 January 2020
- Départements
- Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège and Haute-Garonne
- Flood type
- wave impact, river flooding, runoff or mudflow
- Heaviest rainfall
- 189 mm
- in one day (Pyrénées-Orientales, 21 January 2020), TAURINYA station · per Météo-France
- 16 January 2020: 0 mm
- 17 January 2020: 2.8 mm
- 18 January 2020: 0.2 mm
- 19 January 2020: 0 mm
- 20 January 2020: 0 mm
- 21 January 2020: 189 mm
- 22 January 2020: 110.8 mm
- 23 January 2020: 22.2 mm
- 24 January 2020: 0 mm
189 mm from 19 to 21 Jan, up to the wettest day
The flood's dates
- Peak discharge
- 1,282 m³/s
- La Têt, partielle, à Perpignan [Pont-Joffre], on 23 January 2020 · per Hub'Eau
- Extent
- flooded area observed by Copernicus EMS over the mapped sectors
- 1,479 ha
Protected species recorded within reach
Observations recorded in the ten years before the flood, some known only to within a few kilometres, up to 10 km, when their published position is blurred or given by grid square. They tell which species were reported there, not what became of each animal.
1,259 species recorded within reach
209 protected animal species among them and 8 protected plants
7 animal species threatened on the national Red List, protected or not (vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered)
183 Birds
10 Reptiles
8 Amphibians
5 Insects
3 Mammals, bats included
For birds, the category is the one of their population at the flood's season (breeding, wintering or passage birds): a bird with no dated record within reach in that season in the GBIF data has none, and the breeding category needs at least two dated records in June or July. In the migration season (March, August to October), a bird that neither the passage list nor the wintering list assesses takes its breeding category only if it was recorded at least twice within reach in June or July. The list used is named under each species.
The most notable protected animal species
Species with at least three observations (for a bird, three in the months that give it its category, and no bird without a record at the flood's season), the most threatened first, then the most recorded. An observation is a published record: it can count one or several animals, and the same animal can be noted several times. When their published position is imprecise, blurred or given by grid square, they are said to be "within reach or nearby".
Birds
The observations cover every season: a migrant bird recorded there may have been away on the day of the flood.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC0, public domain). Credit for each photo
In the water's path
Establishments registered today within reach of the flood, at their declared address or at the point Géorisques gives. They were not necessarily there on the day of the flood, and the dataset does not say whether they were flooded. An ICPE-classified farm can also be in the SIRENE register: these counts do not add up.
No ICPE-classified livestock farm located within the flood's reach
Géorisques · ICPE1 livestock business in the SIRENE register based within the flood's reach
SIRENE register · InseeNo veterinary practice based within the flood's reach
SIRENE register · InseeNo animal protection association based within the flood's reach
National register of associationsNo wildlife association based within the flood's reach
National register of associations
The one livestock business in the SIRENE register: 1 poultry farm.
A wildlife association is an association whose declared purpose in the national register of associations is the preservation of wildlife: the register does not say whether it runs an authorised care centre. Associations are counted at their declared address: an association or a care centre based outside the area can work across all of it.
Protected areas within reach
Area of each site within reach of the flood, and the share of the site it represents. Natura 2000 and regulatory protection first, then the ZNIEFF.
- Complexe lagunaire de CanetFor its birds: Complexe lagunaire de Canet-Saint NazaireNatura 2000, Habitats and Birds Directives600 ha within reach32.1% of the site
- Piège et collines du LauragaisNatura 2000, Birds Directive71 ha within reach0.2% of the site
- Garonne, Ariège, Hers, Salat, Pique et NesteNatura 2000, Habitats Directive42 ha within reach0.4% of the site
- Cours de l'AriègeBiotope protection order6 ha within reach3.9% of the site
- Grau des BassesBiotope protection order5 ha within reach58.0% of the site
- Complexe lagunaire de Salses-LeucateNatura 2000, Birds Directive4 ha within reach0.1% of the site
- Complexe lagunaire de SalsesNatura 2000, Habitats Directive4 ha within reach0.1% of the site
- Friches humides de TorremillaNatura 2000, Habitats Directive3 ha within reach11.9% of the site
- Tronçon du Cours de l'AriègeBiotope protection order2 ha within reach10.8% of the site
- Complexe lagunaire de Canet-Saint-NazaireZNIEFF type II (inventoried natural area)605 ha within reach31.6% of the site
- Zone humide de l'étang de CanetZNIEFF type I (inventoried natural area)487 ha within reach51.5% of the site
- Lido de l'étang de CanetZNIEFF type I (inventoried natural area)108 ha within reach67.9% of the site
A marsh can be designated twice under Natura 2000, for its habitats and for its birds: when both sites carry the same name, or have the same extent and almost the same area here, they share one row. Natura 2000 areas overlap and do not add up. A ZNIEFF is a wildlife inventory, with no regulatory protection.
The declared communes
213 communes declared a natural disaster (flood) for this flood, département by département.
AudeSee the 103 communes
Ajac, Alaigne, Alet-les-Bains, Antugnac, Arques, Artigues, Aunat, Axat, Belfort-sur-Rebenty, Belpech, Belvianes-et-Cavirac, Bessède-de-Sault, Bouisse, Bouriège, Bourigeole, Brézilhac, Brugairolles, Bugarach, Cambieure, Campagne-sur-Aude, Camps-sur-l'Agly, Capendu, Carcassonne, Cassaignes, Castelreng, Cavanac, Cépie, Chalabre, Clermont-sur-Lauquet, Couffoulens, Couiza, Cournanel, Courtauly, Coustaussa, Cubières-sur-Cinoble, Cucugnan, Escouloubre, Escueillens-et-Saint-Just-de-Bélengard, Espéraza, Festes-et-Saint-André, Fourtou, Gaja-et-Villedieu, Gardie, Gincla, Ginoles, Gramazie, Greffeil, Joucou, La Serpent, Ladern-sur-Lauquet, Lafage, Lignairolles, Limoux, Loupia, Luc-sur-Aude, Magrie, Malras, Malviès, Mazuby, Montazels, Montfort-sur-Boulzane, Montjardin, Montréal, Nébias, Orsans, Pauligne, Pech-Luna, Peyrefitte-du-Razès, Peyrolles, Pieusse, Pomas, Preixan, Puichéric, Puilaurens, Puivert, Quillan, Rennes-le-Château, Rennes-les-Bains, Ribouisse, Rieux-en-Val, Rivel, Roquecourbe-Minervois, Roquetaillade-et-Conilhac, Rouffiac-des-Corbières, Routier, Saint-Couat-d'Aude, Saint-Couat-du-Razès, Saint-Jean-de-Paracol, Saint-Julia-de-Bec, Saint-Just-et-le-Bézu, Saint-Martin-de-Villereglan, Saint-Martin-Lys, Salvezines, Salza, Serres, Sonnac-sur-l'Hers, Soulatgé, Tourreilles, Trèbes, Tréziers, Val-du-Faby, Villedubert, Villefort
Pyrénées-OrientalesSee the 98 communes
Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda, Ansignan, Arboussols, Argelès-sur-Mer, Arles-sur-Tech, Baillestavy, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Bouleternère, Campôme, Campoussy, Canet-en-Roussillon, Canohès, Caramany, Casteil, Catllar, Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes, Cerbère, Clara-Villerach, Codalet, Conat, Corneilla-la-Rivière, Corsavy, Espira-de-Conflent, Estagel, Estavar, Eus, Eyne, Feilluns, Fenouillet, Fillols, Finestret, Fuilla, Ille-sur-Têt, Joch, La Bastide, La Cabanasse, Lamanère, Lansac, Latour-de-France, Le Barcarès, Le Soler, Le Tech, Le Vivier, Lesquerde, Llo, Los Masos, Mantet, Marquixanes, Millas, Molitg-les-Bains, Montescot, Montferrer, Mosset, Néfiach, Nohèdes, Olette, Ortaffa, Perpignan, Pézilla-de-Conflent, Planès, Planèzes, Ponteilla, Port-Vendres, Prades, Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste, Prats-de-Sournia, Py, Rabouillet, Rasiguères, Ria-Sirach, Rigarda, Rodès, Sahorre, Saillagouse, Saint-Arnac, Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines, Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts, Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans, Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, Serralongue, Sorède, Sournia, Tarerach, Tautavel, Thuir, Toulouges, Trévillach, Trilla, Trouillas, Urbanya, Valmanya, Vernet-les-Bains, Villefranche-de-Conflent, Villelongue-de-la-Salanque, Villelongue-dels-Monts, Vinça, Vivès
AriègeSee the 11 communes
Cazals-des-Baylès, Gaudiès, Laroque-d'Olmes, Léran, Mazères, Mirepoix, Montbel, Roumengoux, Saint-Félix-de-Tournegat, Saint-Quentin-la-Tour, Vals
Haute-GaronneSee the commune
Calmont
Download this flood's data
In every file of the dataset, this flood carries the identifier EV-20200121-20200123-66. Its dates were frozen when the identifier was created and differ here from the flood's.
Recognised and listed

A project labelled by the French StateNational Resilience Day 2026 (Journée nationale de la résilience)
Registered with GBIFDerived dataset, DOI 10.15468/dd.ta4vkx










