Tornado rips through southern France, injuring 26 and damaging 100 homes

A powerful tornado devastated the southern French village of Pomas on Monday afternoon, leaving 26 people injured and approximately 100 homes damaged, local authorities reported. The twister, described by witnesses through dramatic videos as a "huge dark funnel" descending from the clouds, tore through the Aude department near Carcassonne.

In its wake, roofs were ripped from houses, trees were uprooted, and structures suffered severe damage. Of the 26 injured, none were in critical condition, though five required hospitalization. The extreme weather event struck Pomas around 5:20 p.m. local time, impacting the community of about 1,000 residents.

Images circulating on social media and local news outlets captured the ferocity of the storm, with the large funnel visible from neighboring areas. La Chaîne Météo reported the tornado formed under a particularly strong supercell thunderstorm, which also brought hail up to 5 centimeters in diameter and strong wind gusts.

Devastation was evident in the immediate aftermath, with residents finding homes with torn-off roofs and damaged walls. One heart-wrenching account from Le Parisien described a resident collapsing in tears upon seeing his destroyed home, crying, "I no longer have a roof." Among the injured was a pregnant woman who was hurt when part of her house collapsed, though a sofa reportedly shielded her from more severe harm. She was taken to the hospital, with the condition of her baby not immediately known.

A large-scale rescue operation was immediately launched, involving over 115 firefighters, including 14 specialists in urban search and rescue, and a search dog team. Police secured the area overnight to protect exposed homes. The storm's impact extended beyond Pomas, leaving approximately 2,800 households in the wider Aude region without electricity.

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I no longer have a roof