Status: 08/18/2022 13:28
Three people died in storms with winds of up to 220 kilometers per hour in Corsica. At least twelve people were injured. Storms also hit other parts of France.
On the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, three people died in hurricane-force storms with hail and heavy rain. At least a dozen other people were injured. The announcement was made by a spokesperson for the municipality of the department of Corse-du-Sud.
The dead are a 13-year-old teenager, a 72-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man.
Boats released by the storm landed on Coggia beach. Image: AFP
Second highest declared warning level
The French meteorological service Météo-France had already declared the second highest alert level because of “severe storms on the west coast with very strong gusts”. The storms reached wind speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour.
According to Météo-France, an “extraordinary gust of wind of 224 kilometers per hour” was measured at Marignana. Corsica was apparently at the center of a low pressure system.
Power interrupted
Firefighters and rescue teams responded to dozens of operations due to fallen trees and damaged buildings. Coastal protection also had to carry out between 60 and 70 operations at sea and on coasts – among other things to rescue people in distress at sea. Due to weather conditions, rescue teams were unable to use helicopters.
As a result of the storm, power supplies to 45,000 customers across Corsica were disrupted, electricity supplier EDF Corse said.
Severe floods in France
Storms also hit other parts of France. After the week-long heat wave, there were severe flooding in some areas. In a few hours, it rained more in some regions than in previous months in general.
Three dead after storms in Corsica
Daniela Junghans, ARD Paris, August 18, 2022 12:52 pm