Eau FFS: Paris Wine Cellars In Danger As The River Seine Floods

This Dryuary has really been a long month, hasn't it? Whew, good thing now there's only less than two days to go. Really looking forward to coming home from work on Thursday, putting my feet up, and having a celebratory glass of champa—wait, what's that? Paris is flooding and the wines are in danger? Are you fucking kidding me?

Hasn't climate change taken enough from us? Wildfires and tsunamis and massive storms and floods from the globe's now-out-of-whack weather system all have wrecked damage on various landscapes. The Independent reports that last week the River Seine burst its banks "after a period of unusually heavy rain," nearing a 6 meter high, compared to its usual depth of 1.5 meters. We love the Independent for its headline: "Paris flood 2018: River Seine threatens wine cellars and museums as it nears record high," with priorities absolutely in the correct order. Suck it, artifacts. The Drinks Business also noted, "As the water rose over the course of last week, it was feared it would begin to seep into cellars located near the river, putting a large number of precious items, from wine to artwork, at severe risk."

The flood halted all boat traffic in Paris, as various cellar owners rushed to save their valuables (and valuable bottles of wine). The river is expected to finally start receding today, according to the BBC. While not actually at the height of Paris' previous flood of the century, 8 meters in 1910, a recent Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development report urged the French capital to start preparing for such a possible disaster. Its blog notes that before 2016, floods in Paris occurred on average every 20 years; this year's disaster is on the heels of another flood only two years ago.

In other words, drink up.