Tornado devastates French village of Pomas, leaving residents in shock
The village of Pomas in France's Aude department experienced a catastrophic tornado on Monday, August 24, 2026, that transformed a typical summer afternoon into a scene of destruction. The whirlwind struck at 4:57 p.m., leaving the community of 1,000 residents south of Carcassonne reeling from the sudden devastation.
Eyewitness account: "Like a string dropping toward the ground"
Anthony Eden, 49, witnessed the tornado's formation from his balcony near the village church. He began recording as dark clouds gathered overhead, their color shifting ominously.
The sky was getting lower, the color was changing, and soon we saw what looked like a string dropping toward the ground,Eden recalled. The funnel-shaped whirlwind soon merged with another formation that appeared to rise from the ground.
Very quickly, an enormous roll of clouds formed. It moved toward us with a noise like insects, or a muffled engine, at breakneck speed,Eden described. The tornado's approach seemed deliberate to those in its path.
It came straight at us, as if it were targeting us,he said.
Five minutes of devastation
The entire event lasted just five minutes. By 5:02 p.m., the tornado had dissipated, but its impact was devastating. Mayor Hervé Giné was inside the town hall with others preparing for the village festival scheduled for Thursday when the tornado struck.
We'd just started five minutes earlier, but when we stepped outside, there was no village left. It was absolute chaos,the mayor said, visibly emotional days after the disaster. The swift transformation from normalcy to destruction left residents struggling to comprehend what had occurred.
Widespread damage and uncertain future
The tornado's path through Pomas left widespread damage across the village, dramatically altering the landscape in mere moments. Aerial photographs captured the extent of the destruction, showing damaged structures and debris scattered throughout the community.
The timing of the disaster, coming just days before a planned village celebration, added to the community's sense of loss. Residents now face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives and their village in the aftermath of the natural disaster.
