Full Breakdown
Tornado Ravages Pomas in Southern France, Injuring 26 and Damaging Hundreds of Homes
8/25/2026, 2:00:29 AM
Tornado Strikes Pomas, Aude
A powerful tornado moved through the village of Pomas in the Aude department of southern France at approximately 5:20 p.m. on Monday, according to the prefecture of Aude. The vortex ripped roofs from buildings, overturned vehicles and uprooted trees, leaving roughly 100 homes heavily damaged. The storm caused widespread power outages, affecting about 2,800 households across ten nearby communes, and forced the closure of several departmental roads.
Human Toll and Immediate Damage
The prefecture reported 26 people with non-life-threatening injuries, including a pregnant woman who was trapped beneath a collapsed wall but was partially shielded by a sofa before being rescued. Five of the injured were transferred to hospitals for further care. Emergency shelters were opened in Pomas and the neighboring town of Limoux to accommodate residents unable to return to their homes that night.
Emergency Response and Official Guidance
More than 115 firefighters, including 14 urban search-and-rescue specialists and a canine unit, were deployed to the scene. The Red Cross mobilized additional assistance, and gendarmes began regular patrols to secure damaged properties. The prefecture urged citizens to rely on official sources, avoid spreading misinformation, and refrain from calling emergency lines unless necessary, in order to facilitate rescue operations.
Weather Alerts and Regional Context
Météo France had placed the southwestern part of France under an orange storm alert when the tornado struck, recording wind gusts up to 117 km/h. The orange alert was lifted later that evening. The same weather system also produced flooding and fallen trees in Catalonia, Spain, and meteorologists warned of a new wave of storms expected to affect the Mediterranean coast and other regions of France in the coming days.
