Metropolitan Department
Charente
France · Europe
Charente is a metropolitan department of France, in Europe. It lies on the Eurasian Plate.
Tectonic Plates
Recorded Natural Hazards (Géorisques)
It has 359 municipalities and 352,683 inhabitants. Under the seismic zoning in force since 2011, its highest seismicity is moderate (zone 3 of 5). A natural disaster has been declared 2,735 times since 1982 (one declaration per municipality and decree), mostly for floods (1,463) and drought (455). The most recent was signed on 18 January 2026. 36 municipalities have a high radon potential (category 3), home to 7% of inhabitants. 108 municipalities are covered by an approved natural hazard prevention plan.
Seismicity Zones
Number of municipalities in each zone of the regulatory seismic zoning (from 1, very low, to 5, high).
Natural Disasters Declared Since 1982
Declarations per five-year period.
Most Widespread Events
- 1999Ground Movements · 25 December 1999365 municipalities
- 1999Floods and Mudflows · 25 December 1999365 municipalities
- 1982Floods and Mudflows · 8 December 1982365 municipalities
- 1983Hail · 26 July 1983222 municipalities
- 1983Floods and Mudflows · 26 July 1983222 municipalities
- 1983Storms · 26 July 1983222 municipalities
Most Frequently Affected Municipalities
- 23Angoulême
- 21La Couronne
- 21Saint-Yrieix-sur-Charente
- 20Fléac
- 18Chalais
- 18L'Isle-d'Espagnac
- 18Linars
- 18Soyaux
Hazards Listed by Municipality
Number of municipalities exposed to each natural hazard according to the departmental major risks file.
Sources: Natural Earth · Smithsonian GVP · NOAA NCEI · IBTrACS · GEM · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Géorisques (ministère de la Transition écologique, BRGM, IRSN), base GASPAR · INSEE