A tornado of rare intensity struck the small village of Pomas in southern France on Monday afternoon, August 24, 2026, causing widespread destruction and injuring 39 people, including two severely. The tornado tore down walls, ripped off roofs, and uprooted trees, with around 300 of the village's 476 homes damaged.

Herve Gine, mayor of Pomas, which has a population of about a thousand, described the scene as resembling "a wartime situation." He said, "People are in shock," adding that some "have lost everything." Despite the severity of the damage, Mr. Gine called it a "miracle" that no one died, estimating there could have been several dozen fatalities.

The tornado also destroyed key community buildings, with the nursery school gone and no longer having a school or town hall. Search and inspection operations continue, involving 75 firefighters supported by specialist reinforcement teams.

By early Tuesday, August 25, approximately 7,250 households across the Languedoc-Roussillon region were without power, including 1,600 in the Aude department, according to grid operator Enedis.

Abdallah Wakkas, grandfather of two children aged 13 and 17, said the teenagers were shaken by the event. Seventeen people were hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the tornado.

The tornado also affected nearby areas such as Preixan, with footage captured by Guillaume Noe showing the storm's destructive path.

Sources