While the possibility of a major flood of the Seine River may initially seem remote, it comes back regularly and arouses public attention, as was the case during the spring of 2013 when floods took place upstream of the Seine River basin. Even though the flooding did not cause any major damage, it revived the issue of risk management and the region’s vulnerability to flooding. The prospect of a historic event is a key concern for French risk management stakeholders. The 1910 flood was particularly destructive in the context of an era marked by industrial and technological progress. Such events illustrate the difficulties societies have in striking a compromise between economic development and managing the increased vulnerabilities of social and economic stakeholders.