A sudden, powerful tornado tore through villages in southern France this week, leaving more than 40 people hurt and countless households without power.
An eyewitness from the village of Verzeille filmed the tornado forming beneath a thunderstorm. The storm’s winds, clocking in above 100 km/h (62 mph), ripped the roofs off houses in nearby Pomas and sent debris tumbling down neighborhood streets.
Local authorities say about 2,800 homes were still without electricity by Monday evening, as power lines were downed. Several roads have also been blocked, hampering emergency response and recovery efforts.
The event has intensified calls for better emergency preparedness in rural France, where tornadoes are rare but can be extremely destructive when they do occur.
