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Storm Benjamin Moves On From France as Alerts Lifted, Power Restored for Almost All

Authorities report power largely restored with operations returning to normal.

Overview

  • Météo-France ended orange vigilance nationwide on Friday after Haute-Corse was downgraded in the morning.
  • Enedis said outages fell from roughly 140,000 at Thursday’s peak to about 38,000 by evening and to under 500 by Friday night after a large field deployment.
  • The storm caused one death in Haute-Corse when a German tourist was swept away in the Fango river, and officials reported a seriously injured firefighter and several minor injuries elsewhere.
  • Regional rail saw widespread suspensions and slowdowns on Thursday while most TGVs ran, with some coastal ferries canceled and beach and park closures due to dangerous surf and wind.
  • Gusts topped 100 km/h across much of France with peaks measured at 161 km/h in Fécamp and up to around 160–170 km/h on Cap Corse, alongside a marked risk of coastal submersion at high tide.