A rare and powerful tornado wreaked havoc on the village of Pomas in southern France, causing injuries and extensive damage to over 300 homes. Fortunately, no individuals have been reported missing in the aftermath of the disaster. The Aude prefecture confirmed that as of Tuesday morning, 1,400 households remained without electricity.
The tornado was captured in a social media video and verified by Reuters as it swept above the village of Verzeille, located just a few kilometers east of Pomas on Monday. The destructive path of the tornado led to shattered windows in many of the residences it encountered.
Images show the tornado moving through Preixan, situated a few kilometers north of Pomas, as verified by Reuters through social media channels.
In the aftermath of the tornado, residents and authorities are assessing the damage and beginning the clean-up process. A man is seen amidst the debris of a damaged house in Pomas, while the Saint Julien et Sainte Basilisse church suffered a collapsed roof due to the tornado. Fallen trees litter a cemetery in Pomas, and individuals are pictured covering the damaged roof of a building with a tarp. Pedestrians navigate past a fallen tree near the damaged homes in Pomas, illustrating the widespread impact of the natural disaster.