On Monday, August 24, a powerful thunderstorm hit the southern French region of Aude, causing a massive tornado to strike the small village of Pomas near Carcassonne, leaving 41 people injured and hundreds of houses damaged.
According to media reports, on Monday afternoon, parts of Aude experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds, with the maximum wind speed reaching 120 kilometers per hour. The French meteorological agency issued an orange alert for thunderstorms in 20 southern provinces, including Aude.
Several residents captured footage of the tornado passing through. In the footage, a massive rotating airflow can be seen extending from the sky to the ground, with one netizen describing it as “the entire sky seemed to be sucked into the funnel.”
After the tornado passed, the village of Pomas, with a population of only about 1,000 people, suffered severe damage. It is estimated that 300 houses were damaged, with some roofs ripped off by strong winds, large trees uprooted, and some vehicles damaged. Over 120 emergency rescue personnel were deployed to the scene to carry out rescue operations.
The Aude prefecture reported that the tornado left 41 people injured, with 15 of them seriously injured and taken to hospitals for treatment. The French Red Cross also rushed to the disaster area, where two temporary shelters have been opened for affected residents in need of overnight accommodation.
Due to fallen trees and rescue operations, several provincial roads were temporarily closed. In addition, the severe weather caused power outages for about 2,800 households in around ten villages. As of that night, rescue and damage assessment efforts were still ongoing, with authorities planning to further disclose detailed information.