According to the Aude prefecture, the tornado struck late Monday afternoon around 5:20 p.m., primarily affecting the village of Pomas, which has roughly 1,000 residents and lies between Carcassonne and Limoux.
Social media videos captured a powerful wind vortex sweeping through multiple communes under stormy conditions.
The Aude prefecture reported that 26 people suffered non‑life‑threatening injuries; they were treated at a casualty assembly point, with five being evacuated to hospitals. One case involved a pregnant woman whose house collapsed, yet she was protected by her sofa.
Property damage was extensive: about 100 homes in Pomas were impacted, many with roofs torn off and structures blown apart.
Over 115 firefighters, including 14 urban search‑and‑rescue specialists and a dog‑handling unit, were deployed, and the Red Cross is preparing to support the effort.
Two emergency shelters were opened for the night to house residents unable to return home, located in Pomas and Limoux.
Gendarmes are conducting regular patrols in the affected zones to secure damaged properties.
Severe weather disrupted traffic; several departmental roads were closed after trees fell, allowing emergency services to operate.
By 7:30 p.m., roughly 2,800 households across about ten communes in Aude remained without electricity.
The tornado occurred while parts of south‑west France were under an orange weather alert; Météo France recorded gusts up to 117 km/h, and the alert was lifted at 7 p.m.