A powerful tornado struck the village of Pomas in southern France, causing significant damage to over 300 homes and leaving numerous individuals injured. Fortunately, no missing persons have been reported so far. The Aude prefecture indicated that as of Tuesday morning, around 1,400 households were still without electricity following the disaster.
The tornado was captured swirling above the village of Verzeille, located a few kilometers east of Pomas, late on Monday, as seen in a video shared on social media and verified by Reuters. Many homes in its path had their windows shattered by the force of the storm.
In the aftermath of the tornado, residents are now assessing the damage and beginning the cleanup process. Images show a man standing amidst the debris of a damaged house in Pomas, as well as the fallen roof of Saint Julien et Sainte Basilisse church. Fallen trees are strewn across a cemetery, while individuals are seen covering a damaged building’s roof with a tarp to prevent further exposure to the elements.
Pedestrians navigate through the area, passing by toppled trees and damaged homes in Pomas, illustrating the extent of destruction caused by the tornado.