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Although colourful are thes wine storage tanks very characteristic for the wine district Cotes de Nimes. Here Calvisson wine museum with 2,5 milennium history - panoramioPhoto: Henk Monster · CC BY 3.0
–Not graded
Flood & hazards in Calvisson · Géorisques

100% of Calvisson’s residents live on shrink-swell clay

What the state records for Calvisson: natural-disaster declarations since 1982, risk plans, mapped flood zones, clay ground, earthquake zone, radon and industrial sites. Hazard risk is not graded in France: there is no national flood map, so a town outside the mapped areas can’t be called safe from floods.

By hazard

6 hazards in Calvisson at a glance

Bars show where the town sits among French towns of 2,500+; they are not a grade. Disaster declarations are shown, not compared.

Not on this page: wildfire maps and storm-surge levels: France publishes them only as plans.
Not graded

Why hazards aren’t graded in France

In the UK, the Hazard risk grade is the share of homes in a mapped flood zone; in the U.S., it is FEMA’s modelled yearly damage to buildings. Both rest on maps that cover the whole country. France maps flood zones in detail only in its 125 areas at highest risk (TRI), so most towns have no figure, and a blank would read as “dry”. The state’s disaster declarations don’t fill the gap: they depend on the mayor applying, and they don’t line up with the mapped zones. So Calvisson has no Hazard grade, and its overall grade uses the other six subjects.

Everything on this page is shown as published. We’ll grade it when France publishes a national flood map.

Flood map

Flood zones in Calvisson on the map

The state’s own layers from Géorisques, drawn over the street map. Tap a layer to switch it on or off.

© OpenStreetMap contributors · Géorisques
Medium-probability flood zone (about 1 in 100 years)Mapped area (TRI)Clay: lowmediumhighCalvisson (commune boundary)

Flood zones are drawn only inside the state’s mapped areas (TRI, pink outline). Outside them, the map is blank because nobody has drawn it, not because the ground is dry.

Flood zones

0.2% of Calvisson’s residents live in a mapped flood zone

Residents in the state’s medium-probability flood zones, by where the water comes from. Mapped areas only.

Rivers0.2%of residents where a river can overflow
Runoff0%where heavy rain runs off
The sea0%where the sea can flood in
Where Calvisson sits among the 1,643 French towns of 2,500+ with a flood map
27%None
15%Under 1%Calvisson
22%1–5%
13%5–10%
11%10–20%
8%20–40%
2%40–60%
3%60%+

Share of residents in a medium-probability flood zone. Calvisson has more than 32% of mapped towns. The other 2,833 towns of 2,500+ have no detailed map.

Against the 40 mapped towns nearest its size: 13th of 41, from fewest to most residents in a flood zone
#TownPeopleIn a flood zone
1Estaires Nord6,5250%
2Bon-Encontre Lot-et-Garonne6,5300%
3Bonsecours Seine-Maritime6,4420%
…
11La Montagne Loire-Atlantique6,5050.2%
12Grézieu-la-Varenne Rhône6,4720.2%
13Calvisson Gard6,4860.2%
14Vezin-le-Coquet Ille-et-Vilaine6,4710.3%
15Saint-Priest-en-Jarez Loire6,4710.3%
…
40Marignier Haute-Savoie6,50722%
41Longué-Jumelles Maine-et-Loire6,56423%

Mapped area: – (flood directive maps, 2nd cycle, 2020). Medium probability is roughly the 1-in-100-year flood. Residents placed by INSEE’s 200 m income grid (2021).

Disaster history

26 natural disasters declared in Calvisson since 1982, 13 for floods

The state’s register of natural-disaster orders, 1982 to January 2026.

  1. 2023Drought: clay subsidenceMarch 31, 2023 – June 29, 2023 · order published August 2, 2024
  2. 2022Drought: clay subsidenceJuly 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022 · order published September 26, 2023
  3. 2021Floods and mudflowsSeptember 14–16, 2021 · order published September 26, 2021
  4. 2019Drought: clay subsidenceApril 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 · order published July 10, 2020
  5. 2018Drought: clay subsidenceJanuary 1, 2018 – March 31, 2018 · order published August 9, 2019
  6. 2017Drought: clay subsidenceJuly 1, 2017 – September 30, 2017 · order published July 5, 2018
Show all 24 events
  1. 2016Drought: clay subsidenceJanuary 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016 · order published September 1, 2017
  2. 2015Floods and mudflowsAugust 23, 2015 · order published January 22, 2016
  3. 2014Floods and mudflowsOctober 9–11, 2014 · order published December 7, 2014
  4. 2014Floods and mudflowsSeptember 29, 2014 · order published November 7, 2014
  5. 2012Drought: clay subsidenceJanuary 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 · order published August 2, 2013
  6. 2007Drought: clay subsidenceJanuary 1, 2007 – March 31, 2007 · order published August 13, 2008
  7. 2005Floods and mudflowsSeptember 6–8, 2005 · order published October 14, 2005
  8. 2002Floods and mudflowsSeptember 8–10, 2002 · order published September 20, 2002
  9. 2001Floods and mudflowsOctober 6–7, 2001 · order published February 9, 2002
  10. 1998Floods and mudflowsSeptember 4, 1998 · order published December 11, 1998
  11. 1998Drought: clay subsidenceMarch 1–31, 1998 · order published June 6, 2001
  12. 1995Floods and mudflowsOctober 13–15, 1995 · order published January 7, 1996
  13. 1994Floods and mudflowsOctober 19–21, 1994 · order published March 17, 1995
  14. 1993Drought: clay subsidenceSeptember 1, 1993 – December 31, 1997 · order published July 29, 1998
  15. 1992Floods and mudflowsSeptember 21–23, 1992 · order published November 18, 1992
  16. 1989Drought: clay subsidenceMay 1, 1989 – August 31, 1993 · order published November 24, 1994
  17. 1988Landslide · Floods and mudflowsOctober 3, 1988 · order published October 8, 1988
  18. 1982Floods and mudflows · StormNovember 6–10, 1982 · order published November 19, 1982

Declarations by hazard · 1982–2025

Flood or mudflow13
Drought (clay)11
Landslide, rockfall1
Storm, hail, snow1

Each line is a state order recognizing a natural disaster in the commune (“CatNat”), which lets insured owners claim. The latest flood began September 14, 2021; 9 flood declarations since 1995.

This count partly reflects how often a mayor applies for a declaration, so it isn’t compared between towns. It is a record of recognized claims, not a flood map. Source: GASPAR, Géorisques, file of 5 October 2026 (orders published to January 2026).

Plans and listings

The state lists 7 hazards for Calvisson

Risk plans in force or in preparation, and the prefecture’s list of major risks.

Risk plans in force
1
natural and industrial
Flood atlases
2
Atlas des zones inondables du bassin versant du Vidourle and BV Vidourle, Vistre et Rhôny
Area at high flood risk (TRI)
No
not designated
Mayor’s risk booklet (DICRIM)
On file
ask the town hall
HazardRisk plan (PPR)Listed by the prefecture
River flooding and runoffApproved 2017✓
Landslides and rockfalls—✓
Clay shrink-swell—✓
Earthquake—✓
Forest fire—✓
Radon—✓
Dangerous goods in transit—✓

A risk plan (plan de prévention des risques, PPR) is the state’s map of where building is banned or restricted because of a hazard; it is attached to the town’s planning rules, and a seller or landlord must tell you if the home is in one. The prefecture’s file of major risks (DDRM) lists the hazards it expects in each commune.

Plans: PPRN-I - Calvisson

Clay and earthquakes

Earthquake zone 2 (low); 100% of residents on shrink-swell clay

What the ground under Calvisson does: national maps, the same for every town.

Clay shrink-swell

Residents on shrink-swell clay · share of residents

CalvissonMedian in GardMedian French town
Medium or high100%
High92%
0%50%100%

Clay ground swells when wet and shrinks in drought, which cracks walls of houses on shallow foundations. Since 2020, a soil study is required before selling a building plot in a medium or high zone. 11 drought (clay) declarations here since 1982.

Earthquake zones: share of French towns of 2,500+
Zone 1 · very low33%
Zone 2 · low ← Calvisson36%
Zone 3 · moderate24%
Zone 4 · medium6%
Zone 5 · strong1%

Calvisson is in zone 2 (low). New buildings must follow the earthquake building code (Eurocode 8) for their type. The zone sets building rules; it isn’t a forecast.

Clay: BRGM shrink-swell exposure map 2025, residents placed by INSEE’s 200 m grid. Earthquakes: national seismic zoning, decree of 22 October 2010.

Radon

Radon potential in Calvisson: category 1 of 3 (low)

Radon is a natural radioactive gas from granite and volcanic rock; it builds up indoors.

Share of French towns of 2,500+ in each category
Category 1 ← Calvisson66%
Category 212%
Category 322%

Calvisson is in category 1, the lowest: the rocks here release little radon.

The category describes the rocks under the commune, not any home: a test is the only way to know.

Source: radon potential by commune, IRSN (now ASNR), 2019.

Industrial sites

No industrial risk plan reaches Calvisson

Hazardous sites whose danger zone reaches the town, and the technological risks the prefecture lists.

Listed by the prefecture
Dangerous goods in transitroad, rail, pipeline or waterway through the town
Seveso sites
0
upper-tier Seveso sites in Calvisson
0
lower-tier Seveso sites in Calvisson
0
Seveso sites within 5 km of the center
6.2 km
to the nearest: SYNGENTA PRODUCTION FRANCE SAS (upper tier)

Seveso sites store or use large amounts of dangerous substances; upper-tier sites have a risk plan around them. Distances are from the town’s center.

Sources: GASPAR (PPRT, DDRM), Géorisques, 5 October 2026; Seveso sites from Géorisques’ register of classified installations.

Neighbors

Hazards in Calvisson’s neighbors

Towns of 2,500+ within 30 km. Tap one to open its hazards page.

ClarensacAubaisVergèzeAigues-VivesUchaudCodognanClarensacAubaisVergèzeAigues-VivesUchaudCodognanCalvisson
TownFlood zone*Seismic zoneRadon
Calvisson0.2%21
Clarensac
4,386 · 5 km
0%21
Aubais
2,925 · 5 km
1%21
Vergèze
5,788 · 5 km
3.5%22
Aigues-Vives
3,331 · 6 km
0.3%21
Uchaud
4,879 · 7 km
0.4%21
Codognan
2,529 · 7 km
1.8%21

* Share of residents in a mapped medium-probability flood zone; a dash means no detailed map, not no risk. Radon: category 1 to 3.

Be ready

Being ready in Calvisson

Where France publishes warnings, and what to ask before you buy or rent.

Get warnings
  • Météo-France’s vigilance map gives the day’s warnings by département, from yellow to red.
  • Vigicrues shows river levels and flood warnings for the main rivers, updated twice a day.
  • FR-Alert sends emergency alerts to every phone in the area; no sign-up needed.
Météo-France vigilance · Vigicrues
Buying or renting
  • The seller or landlord must give you a risk statement (état des risques) for the address, listing the plans it is in.
  • They must also tell you about any natural-disaster claim paid on the home.
  • Géorisques gives the same statement for any address, free.
Check an address
If water rises
  • Don’t drive or walk through floodwater.
  • Go upstairs, not to the cellar or car park.
  • Call 112 if you’re in danger.
Before you move to Calvisson
  • Ask for the risk statement and read which plans the address is in.
  • Ask the town hall for its risk booklet (DICRIM) and safety plan (PCS).
  • For a house, look for cracks and ask about the foundations: much of the town is on shrink-swell clay.
  • Check that home insurance includes natural-disaster cover (it comes with fire cover).
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Not graded. France has no national flood map, so we don’t grade hazard risk. Comparisons on this page are with other French towns of 2,500+, shown for context.
  • Mapped areas only. Flood shares exist only where the state has mapped flooding in detail (the TRI areas). A town without a figure has no map, not no risk.
  • Disaster declarations. A CatNat order recognizes a disaster so that insurers pay; it follows the commune’s application. The count partly reflects how often a mayor applies, so we show it but don’t compare towns on it.
  • Plans. A risk plan maps where building is limited; it doesn’t say any one home will flood.
  • Clay, earthquakes, radon. National maps of the ground: they describe susceptibility and set building rules, not damage or forecasts.

Check any address on Géorisques

Questions about hazards in Calvisson

Does Calvisson flood?

The state has declared 13 flood disasters in Calvisson since 1982, the last starting September 14, 2021. On the state’s detailed map, 0.2% of residents live in a medium-probability flood zone. A flood risk plan is in force.

Is Calvisson at risk of earthquakes?

Calvisson is in seismic zone 2 of 5 (low). The zone sets building rules for new construction; it isn’t a forecast.

Is there radon in Calvisson?

Radon potential is category 1 of 3 (low). It describes the ground under the commune; only a test tells you a home’s level.

Are there dangerous industrial sites near Calvisson?

No industrial risk plan reaches Calvisson; 0 Seveso sites lie within 5 km.

Why doesn’t Calvisson have a Hazard grade?

France maps flood zones in detail only in its areas at highest risk, so most towns would have no figure, and a blank would look like no risk. We show the data instead, and will grade it if France publishes a national flood map.

Sources: Géorisques (Ministry of Ecological Transition), GASPAR file of 5 October 2026: CatNat orders, risk plans (PPRN, PPRT, PPRM), flood atlases, DDRM, DICRIM · flood directive maps, 2020 (TRI 2nd cycle) and 2024 outlines · BRGM clay shrink-swell map 2025 · seismic zoning, decree of 22 October 2010 · ASNR (formerly IRSN) radon potential 2019 · INSEE 200 m income grid 2021 (where residents live) · map: Géorisques layers over © OpenStreetMap contributors · Seveso sites: Géorisques register of classified installations. Licence Ouverte / Open Licence (Etalab). Not graded.

Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.