Using Géorisques
Géorisques is the reference public portal on major risks in France. The process takes three steps:
Enter your address
On georisques.gouv.fr, in the search bar dedicated to an address or a parcel.
Check the recorded risks
The site lists natural risks (flooding, land movement, seismicity, wildfire) and technological ones (classified industrial sites, pipelines) affecting the area.
Open the associated fact sheets
Each identified risk links to a practical sheet: what to do before, during, after.
The service is free, requires no account, and takes only a few minutes.
Your town hall's DICRIM
The municipal information document on major risks (DICRIM) is drawn up by every town hall affected by at least one major risk. It complements Géorisques with information specific to the municipality:
- Safety instructions specific to the municipality (shelter locations, municipal meeting points).
- Historical markers: heights of past floods, areas already hit by a fire or land movement.
- Useful contacts in an event (town hall, municipal services).
It's available for free at the town hall, and often published on the municipality's website.
The DDRM, at département level
The departmental file on major risks (DDRM), available from the prefecture, gives an overview at département level: it's the reference document that underlies all municipal DICRIMs. Useful if you're moving or want to compare several municipalities.
What it changes for your preparedness
Once risks are identified, the rest of your preparedness becomes clearer:
| Identified risk | Guide to consult |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Flooding: the right actions |
| Wildfire | Wildfires: protecting your home |
| Earthquake | Earthquake: what to do, and the real risk in France |
| Any risk, in general | Family safety plan (PIMS) |
Mistakes to avoid
- Relying only on your gut feeling. A neighbourhood no resident remembers being flooded can still be a flood zone in the regulatory sense.
- Only checking risks after moving. It's precisely before moving in that the information is most useful.
- Confusing Géorisques with a simple weather map. Géorisques records structural risks (flooding, seismicity), not the day's weather.
- Forgetting the DICRIM, which gives local information Géorisques alone doesn't always provide.
The risks around your home
LASTLINE can help you visualise certain known risks around your registered home, in addition to Géorisques and the DICRIM:
- a map of local risks identified around your address;
- official alerts filtered for your area.
LASTLINE doesn't replace Géorisques or your town hall's DICRIM, which remain the most complete reference sources.
See risks in my areaFrequently asked questions
How do I know if my address is in a flood zone?
By entering your address on georisques.gouv.fr: the site displays natural and technological risks officially recorded for your parcel, including flood risk if a flood risk prevention plan (PPRI) exists for your municipality.
What is the DICRIM?
The municipal information document on major risks (DICRIM) is drawn up by every town hall affected by a major risk. It lists the municipality's risks, safety instructions and historical markers (past floods, fires). It's available at the town hall and often on the municipality's website.
Is Géorisques free and account-free?
Yes. Géorisques is a free public site, no registration needed, sufficient to enter an address and consult officially recorded risks.
Sources
- Géorisques, georisques.gouv.fr.
- Géorisques, The individual safety plan (mentions the DICRIM and DDRM as information sources).