Overview
- A violent tornado struck Pomas in the Aude on Monday afternoon, ripping off roofs, blowing out walls and injuring dozens of residents in a few minutes of intense wind.
- Prefectural tallies have evolved as teams worked on site, with officials reporting up to 48 people taken in charge and about 20 evacuated to hospitals in the latest provisional count.
- The material toll is large: roughly 330 of the commune’s about 496 houses were hit and, of 293 inspected homes, 191 are habitable while 102 were declared totally destroyed.
- More than 120 firefighters, specialist search-and-rescue units, gendarmes and volunteers remain on site to secure buildings, begin temporary roof covering, reopen roads and restore electricity.
- Météo‑France recorded severe storm conditions during the event and experts link the tornado to a supercell in a local zone prone to late‑summer instability, raising urgent needs for rebuilding, temporary housing and psychosocial support.