Tornado Strikes Pomas, 39 Injured, Hundreds of Homes Destroyed

Sun Sep 06 2026 08:32:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A violent tornado ripped through the French village of Pomas, injuring 39 people and damaging around 300 homes, prompting emergency response across the region.

On August 24, a tornado tore through Pomas, southwestern France, injuring 39 people and damaging about 300 homes. 15 were hospitalised, including a pregnant woman whose house collapsed. Winds reached 117 km/h and images show uprooted trees and demolished structures. The storm disrupted the Vuelta a España race, canceling stage 3, and left 2,800 homes without electricity. Orange thunderstorm warnings were issued amid a backdrop of heatwaves and wildfires in the south‑west.

Tornado Strikes Pomas, 39 Injured, Hundreds of Homes Destroyed

On August 24, a violent tornado swept through the small village of Pomas in southwestern France, leaving 39 people injured and an estimated 300 homes damaged or destroyed.

Pedestrians walk past a toppled tree after the tornado struck Pomas, southwestern France.

Principle injuries were to 15 patients taken to hospital; two remain in critical condition. Among them was a pregnant woman whose house collapsed on her. The storm produced wind gusts of 117 km/h (73 mph), ripping roofs and uprooting large trees.

Local authorities deployed more than 120 emergency responders to the village, located south of Carcassonne. The tornado’s destruction was so severe that residents described it as a “huge red and yellow chimney.” One villager, Pierre, spoke about a centuries‑old stone castle that suffered partial collapse.

The extreme weather also halted stage 3 of the Vuelta a España. A hailstorm forced riders to shelter 15 km from the finish line, and the stage was cancelled. The disaster left 2,800 homes in 10 villages without electricity, according to local officials.

French meteorologists issued an orange alert for thunderstorms across the south‑west. Witnesses captured the tornado’s swirling vortex in footage taken before the storm’s arrival. The region has also suffered a series of heatwaves and massive wildfires, with over 42,000 hectares burned in recent months.

Flights were delayed or cancelled at Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and northern Paris airports as organizers responded to the disrupted weather conditions, and authorities urged residents to report any damage or missing persons via the contact form provided.