A tornado struck the small village of Pomas in southern France on Monday, leaving 39 people injured, two of them critically, and damaging around 300 homes, local authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
Marie-Helene Bouissac, deputy head of the local government office, confirmed the injury toll as rescue teams continued working through the village. The area had been under a thunderstorm alert at the time the tornado hit. However, no missing persons have been reported.
Emergency accommodation centres have been opened to house residents displaced by the destruction. The scale of damage to homes across the village has left a significant portion of the community unable to return.
Pomas is a small settlement, and the impact of a tornado at this scale on a community of its size is severe. Rescue operations were still ongoing at the time of this report.
Tornadoes are uncommon but not unheard of in southern France. Especially during periods of intense thunderstorm activity in the late summer months. The region’s geography and climate can generate the conditions necessary for rotating storms. Nonetheless, events of this scale remain rare.
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