“A large part of the equipment was flooded,” explains Robert Malacarne, manager at Ruhl Plage. Last week, a “storm surge” overwhelmed part of the Nice coastline. “There is no insurance for sea swells unless it is a natural disaster, and sea swells are not included in that,” Robert Malacarne says. He reports that the city council is considering the issue of constructing barriers to prevent flooding caused by the sea.
At Florida Beach
“There wasn’t really any material damage. The cost is mostly related to cleaning and restoring the beach. We had to clear the area quickly to return to work. For this, we rented a bulldozer at the cost of 2000 euros. We had to pay the employees, although they did not work during those days.” Philippe Vincenzi, manager of Florida Beach, says that his establishment was hit by four sea swells this year, with the last two being consecutive.
“We managed to restore the beach. There were still 80 centimeters of pebbles!” Like his colleague from Ruhl Plage, Philippe Vincenzi is adamant that there is no insurance for sea swells. He has approached the city council, but as the famous saying goes, first come, first served. “There’s a waiting list. The loan of a bulldozer is done on a week-to-week basis.”
In the event of a disaster
The communications department at the Nice city council states that beach managers are not owners. “The city owns the beaches along the coast. These are concessions that can be rented for a duration of 12 years. Regarding rumors about the possible construction of barriers on the beaches, it is affirmed that this is just a project and no studies have yet been conducted. “As of today, we cannot know whether a sea swell is considered a natural disaster. Beach operators must file a request for documentation at the city council. Once the file is reviewed, it will then be communicated to the state.”
