Grenoble, the capital city of Dauphiné, was flooded twice by the Isère River, once in 1733 and a second time in 1740. Socio-economic resilience of this urban and suburban district points out how arbitration by social actors was a key factor in the ability to survive of the Grenoblian system after the disaster. The study of resilience, considered as the “back-to-normal” process of the impacted system, shows social and territorial dynamics, tensions and cohesions at work in order to preserve and adapt the society. Catastrophe also awakens a greater sensitivity to the system’s vulnerable spots, building a growing awareness of flood risk during the 18th century.