The Great Paris Flood of 1910 – When Parisians Traded Trains for Boats

If you think delayed trains and soggy croissants are the peak of Parisian inconvenience, allow us to rewind to the winter of 1910, when the City of Light turned into the City of Soggy Cellars. The culprit? The Seine, that picturesque ribbon of water slicing through Paris like it’s in a postcard, decided it had had enough of behaving and staged a full-blown rebellion.

For a few surreal weeks, Paris wasn’t just under water—it was in it. Residents paddled to work. Policemen rowed down boulevards. Horses waded. The métro gave up. It was, quite literally, sink or swim.

So, what really happened during the Great Paris Flood of 1910? Why did the Seine throw such a dramatic tantrum, and what was life like when boats replaced buses?

When Paris Became Venice (But With More Rain and Fewer Gondolas)

Let’s set the scene. It’s January 1910. Paris, freshly dusted with Edwardian optimism and industrial flourish, has just finished extending the métro and proudly opened its new train stations, like Gare d’Orsay. What could go wrong?

Well, rain. An absurd amount of it. The winter was relentless—weeks of heavy downpour, followed by melting snow in the surrounding countryside. All that water had to go somewhere, and the Seine, already at capacity, decided that “somewhere” was “everywhere.”

By 21 January, the river had started creeping over its banks. Within days, it wasn’t creeping—it was stampeding.

How High Did It Go?

At its peak on 28 January 1910, the Seine reached 8.62 metres above its normal level at the Pont d’Austerlitz. For context, that’s roughly the height of a two-storey house. Streets disappeared. Quais vanished. Basements filled, then ground floors, then hopes of a dry sock.

The Métro That Went Missing

The Paris métro, barely a decade old and the pride of the city, found itself utterly bamboozled. Tunnels flooded. Tracks buckled. Electrical systems fizzled out. Imagine waiting for Line 4 and instead watching a canoe glide past your station entrance. Not quite what the designers had in mind.

Stations like Gare d’Orsay (now the Musée d’Orsay) were waterlogged. Some areas became dangerous aquariums, with fish allegedly spotted swimming past abandoned platforms—though that may have been more local folklore than marine biology.

A Boat for Every Boulevard

Here’s where it gets truly cinematic. With roads submerged, Parisians took to boats. Wooden planks served as makeshift sidewalks. Police used rowboats to deliver food and rescue stranded residents. Enterprising souls opened up “water taxis.” Imagine hailing a ride on Rue de Rivoli and floating off to your destination.

Photographs from the time show everything from ladies in ankle-length coats being ferried to work, to horses up to their necks in water. Entire districts transformed into temporary canals.

Which Neighbourhoods Suffered Most?

The Latin Quarter, Saint-Michel, and areas near the Gare de Lyon bore the brunt of the flood. Low-lying arrondissements like the 5th, 6th and 13th were particularly soggy. But really, no arrondissement was spared entirely. Water trickled (or gushed) into over 20,000 buildings.

Underground Paris Wasn’t Ready

Let’s talk about the real underdog: Paris’ underground infrastructure. The extensive sewer system, which Napoleon III had proudly modernised in the 19th century, became a backdoor for the flood. Water entered through pipes, drains, tunnels—it was like trying to keep a sponge dry in a bathtub.

Entire streets collapsed into sodden sinkholes. Cellars became swimming pools. Wine barrels bobbed in basements. The city’s 20,000 kilometres of water and sewer lines simply couldn’t cope.

The Human Side – How Parisians Coped

It wasn’t all doom and driftwood. Parisians, as ever, met the madness with gallows humour and a dash of flair. Newspapers printed “piscine forecasts” alongside weather reports. Local bars renamed cocktails “La Seine Surprise.” Children held miniature boat races in the streets.

Community spirit surged, much like the river itself. Neighbours helped each other bail out homes and rescue stranded cats. Cafés stayed open on upper floors, and artists captured the absurdity on canvas.

Damage Control: After the Waters Receded

When the Seine finally retreated in early February, it left behind a monumental mess. The damage was catastrophic: over 1 billion francs in today’s money. Thousands were displaced. Public transport took weeks to recover. Some metro lines remained unusable for months.

The city responded with the usual Parisian blend of bureaucracy and brilliance. New flood prevention strategies were proposed. Civil engineers rethought drainage systems. The Seine was put on a short leash (at least on paper).

Could It Happen Again?

The unnerving answer is: oui. Paris has flooded several times since 1910—most notably in 1955, 1982, and 2016—but never with the same ferocity. Still, experts warn that the city remains vulnerable. Urban density, ageing infrastructure, and climate change are not exactly a winning combination.

In fact, authorities have created detailed emergency plans dubbed “Plan Seine,” which include flood simulations, evacuation protocols, and infrastructure audits. The métro system has been updated to cope with potential future flooding—but whether it’s enough remains to be seen.

What the Great Paris Flood Taught the World

Beyond the soggy newspapers and submerged staircases, the Great Flood of 1910 taught a few valuable lessons:

• Don’t underestimate rivers. Especially stylish, moody French ones.
• Infrastructure is only as strong as its wettest link.
• Human resilience (and a good pair of boots) goes a long way.

It also proved something quintessentially Parisian: even under several feet of murky water, the city can still find a way to look photogenic.

Weird Facts You Might Not Know About the 1910 Flood

• Postal workers delivered letters by boat. Rain, sleet, or flood—it was business as usual.
• Electricity in some areas didn’t return for weeks. Candlelit dinners, whether you wanted them or not.
• Some Parisians never left their flooded homes. They simply moved upstairs and carried on.
• Several early flood photos were turned into postcards. Because why not commercialise catastrophe?

Planning to Visit Paris? Don’t Pack a Lifejacket (Yet)

Modern Paris has learned from its aquatic adventure. Flood walls, early-warning systems, and vigilant monitoring of the Seine’s level mean that today, you’re more likely to be delayed by a striking baker than a spontaneous boat commute.

But if you stroll along the river near Pont Neuf and notice the Zouave statue partially submerged—start paying attention. Parisians use it as their unofficial flood gauge. If water reaches his feet, it’s time to worry. If it touches his waist, maybe don’t book that river cruise.