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🇧🇪 Belgium /Disasters & Emergencies

Severe storm hits Southwest Flanders: house uninhabitable in Ledegem, man injured by roof tile in Moen

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Severe thunderstorms hit Southwest Flanders, causing significant damage and one injury.
  • A house in Ledegem became uninhabitable due to a lightning-induced fire, and a man was injured by a flying roof tile in Moen.
  • Firefighters responded to 150-170 calls, clearing roads of fallen trees and debris, with most urgent interventions completed by late evening.

Southwest Flanders bore the brunt of a severe thunderstorm that swept through the region on Thursday evening, prompting hundreds of emergency calls and causing considerable damage.

The fire department zone Fluvia, responsible for the area, received between 150 and 170 reports. In Ledegem, a house was rendered uninhabitable after a lightning strike ignited a fire. Meanwhile, in Moen, a man sustained an injury when a dislodged roof tile struck his head as he attempted to secure a party tent.

Residents described the storm as exceptionally violent. "We have truly never seen anything like it. It was pitch black. Truly apocalyptic," one neighbor recounted. The storm also damaged the event site for Moendial, where the Belgian national team's matches are shown on a big screen. A canopy was torn from the stage, and portable toilets were overturned.

Firefighters worked through the night, with 139 personnel and 35 vehicles deployed at the peak of the response. While the most urgent interventions, including clearing major roads blocked by fallen trees and branches, were completed by 11 p.m., residents with minor damage were advised to contact professional repair services.

We have truly never seen anything like it. It was pitch black. Truly apocalyptic.

— NeighborDescribing the exceptional severity of the storm in Moen.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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