A tornado of unusual strength has struck the village of Pomas in southern France, resulting in numerous injuries and causing damage to over 300 residences. Fortunately, there have been no reports of missing individuals.
According to the Aude prefecture, as of Tuesday morning, 1,400 homes remained without power. Below is an overview of the tornado and its consequences.
The tornado twisted above the village of Verzeille, located just a few kilometers east of Pomas, late Monday, as seen in this screengrab from a social media video that has been authenticated by Reuters. Numerous homes in its trajectory experienced shattered windows.
(Denis Marechal/Reuters)
The tornado advanced through Preixan, a few kilometers north of Pomas, captured in this screengrab from social media and confirmed by Reuters.
(Guillaume Noe/Reuters)
Assessing the damage and cleanup efforts
A man surveys the debris of a destroyed house in Pomas on Tuesday.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
Debris is scattered across the interior of Saint Julien et Sainte Basilisse church after its roof collapsed due to the tornado in Pomas.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
This image depicts toppled trees within a cemetery in Pomas as a result of the storm.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
Individuals are seen covering the damaged roof of a structure with a tarp in Pomas.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)
People stroll past a fallen tree near damaged houses in Pomas.
(Idriss Bigou-Gilles/AFP/Getty Images)