In brief
A violent tornado on 24 August slammed into the French village of Pomas, ripping roofs and toppling around 300 houses. Authorities recorded 39 injuries, 15 hospitalized and 2 in critical condition. Residents described the storm as a huge red‑yellow chimney that destroyed half the village, including a collapsing house that injured a pregnant woman. The thunderstorm also forced the cancellation of a Vuelta a España race stage, left 2,800 homes without power and disrupted flights across Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and north‑Paris. Metéo‑France issued an orange alert for the region and the area has already suffered severe heat, wildfires and large power outages.
Tornado strikes Pomas, France, injuring 39 and toppling hundreds of homes.
A powerful tornado tore through the village of Pomas on 24 August, with winds of up to 117 km/h (73 mph) ripping roofs and damaging about 300 houses. Authorities say 15 people were hospitalized and 2 remain critical.
Residents describe the storm as a “huge red and yellow chimney” that largely destroyed half the village. One woman lost her unborn child when her house collapsed.
In addition to the village damage, the southern‑west region suffered severe disruptions: the Vuelta a España cycling stage was cancelled, 2,800 homes lost power, and flights were delayed or cancelled across Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and northern Paris.
France’s Metéo‑France issued an orange alert for thunderstorms. The area has already endured record heat and widespread forest fires.
Eyewitness footage shows swirling vortices above trees and houses. You can send eyewitness accounts or video to PulseWire via the contact form.
