Approximately 15,000 French homes experienced power outages on a Friday due to storms.
A Wild and Windy Scenario
The aftermath of a turbulent weather event saw heavy winds sweeping the region on the evening of June 25, 2020. As a result, an estimated 15,000 households are still reeling from the aftermath, left in darkness at 5 PM this Friday, according to Enedis. This outage extends to 6,500 households in "Nord-Midi Pyrenees", 4,000 in Auvergne, 2,500 in Limousin, 1,000 in Centre Val de Loire, and an additional 1,000 households in Burgundy.
Trees toppled and broken
1,400 repair crew members on duty
Enedis reports that "1,400 technicians are still working tirelessly to address the damages and restore power to affected households." Since Wednesday, teams working on the electrical network have been hard at work. The downfall of pylons has caused significant damage, and everywhere across France, along roadsides, and in forests, electrical wires are bent under the weight of trees uprooted by the storm.
Apart from physical damage, these storms resulted in two deaths and 17 injuries. A 12-year-old boy was tragically killed by a fallen tree near Montauban, Tarn-et-Garonne, while a 59-year-old man perished after colliding with a fallen tree on a road amidst Mayenne.
These severe weather conditions, characterized by gusts up to 100 km/h (60 mph), heavy rainfall, hail, and electrical activity, were initially forecasted by Météo France, impacting approximately 57 departments across central and northern France[1][3][5]. struggLing through these tough times, not only did the storms paralyze Paris streets, causing flooding and even damaging the roof of the French parliament — interrupting a prime minister’s speech[2][4] — but they also brought disruption to numerous other regions, creating challenging scenarios for those affected.
In the heart of the chaos, 1,400 technicians remain dedicated to the task of restoring power and addressing the aftermath of the damaged infrastructure[1]. Firefighters and civil defense agencies are also actively involved in rescue and damage control efforts, attending to the injured, clearing fallen trees, and managing flooded areas[2][4].
- The severe weather event, forecasted by Météo France, not only impacted 57 departments in central and northern France but also resulted in environmental devastation, such as toppled trees and damaged infrastructure.
- In order to restore power to the estimated 15,000 affected households, Enedis has deployed 1,400 technicians who are tirelessly working to address the damages caused by the storm, with electrical wires bent under the weight of uprooted trees and pylons significantly damaged everywhere across France.
