Rare Tornado Injures Dozens, Damages 300 Homes in Southwestern France

A rare tornado swept through the village of Pomas in the Aude region of southwestern France late on Monday, injuring 39 people and damaging approximately 300 homes.

Two of the injured are in critical condition, and 15 were taken to the hospital. One man reported his pregnant wife was injured after their house collapsed on her. Authorities evacuated everyone in Pomas to verify if homes are safe. Severine, a Pomas resident, described feeling as though death itself was falling upon us and recounted fleeing in her car as it was shaken by the tornado.

The tornado, described as having rare intensity by French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, struck with winds up to 117 km/h (73 mph) in Arquettes-en-Val. Social media footage verified by Reuters showed the tornado swirling above the nearby village of Verzeille, where many homes had windows smashed. More than 120 emergency workers were deployed to the scene.

On Tuesday morning, 1,400 households in the area remained without electricity, down from 2,800 across 10 villages on Monday evening. The tornado formed as an intense summer heatwave gave way to thunderstorms in southern France. France typically experiences several dozen tornadoes annually, but they are usually mild, according to Meteo-France, the national weather service. The third stage of the Vuelta an España cycle race, taking place in the Aude area, was canceled when a hailstorm forced riders to seek shelter.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot reported that storms across southern France disrupted transportation, causing train delays, road closures, and delays or cancellations at airports in Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, and Paris.