A tornado of unusual severity has struck the village of Pomas in southern France, injuring many and causing damage to over 300 residences. Fortunately, no individuals have been reported missing.
According to the Aude prefecture, 1,400 homes remained without power on Tuesday morning. Below is an overview of the tornado and the subsequent effects.
The tornado twisted above the village of Verzeille, located just a few kilometers east of Pomas, on Monday evening, as seen in this screengrab from a social media video verified by Reuters. Numerous homes in its trajectory suffered broken windows.
(Denis Marechal/Reuters)
The tornado progressed through Preixan, situated a few kilometers north of Pomas, captured in this screengrab from a social media source and verified by Reuters.
(Guillaume Noe/Reuters)
Assessing the damage and cleanup efforts
On Tuesday, a man was seen amidst the debris of a destroyed house in Pomas following the tornado.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
Inside the Saint Julien et Sainte Basilisse church, debris cluttered the floor following the roof’s collapse due to the tornado in Pomas.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
This image captures fallen trees in a cemetery as the aftermath of the tornado in Pomas.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
Workers were seen covering a damaged building roof with a tarp in Pomas.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
In Pomas, pedestrians were spotted walking past a toppled tree amid damaged homes.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)