Tornado Strikes Near Paris — Damage, Power Outages & Recovery Efforts

On October 20, the French department of Val-d’Oise, near Paris, was hit by a powerful tornado. The whirlwind swept through several municipalities — Ermont, Aubonne, Franconville, Sannois, Andilly, Montmorency, and the commune of Argenteuil — leaving behind serious damage: overturned cars, ripped-off roofs, fallen trees, and damaged power lines.

The disaster disrupted traffic on local roads and left about 1700 residents without electricity. People whose homes were affected were temporarily accommodated in a gymnasium.

At a construction site in the municipality of Ermont, three large cranes collapsed, crushing cars and damaging nearby buildings. As a result, one person died, and nine others were injured, four of them in critical condition.

According to the European Severe Weather Database, the tornado in Ermont was preliminarily classified as EF2 on the international Fujita scale, corresponding to wind speeds from 112 to 136 miles per hour.

Such events are rare for the Val-d’Oise department: the previous tornado here was significantly weaker and occurred more than twenty years ago. For instance, on July 16, 2003, an EF1 tornado was recorded near Paris — Charles de Gaulle Airport.

With the increase of kinetic energy in the atmosphere, atypical phenomena have become more frequent, including tornadoes in regions where they were previously rare. Statistics show an exponential increase in the number of tornadoes in Europe, which is confirmed by the mathematical model of the ALLATRA scientific community. The interdisciplinary research of these scientists not only tracks trends in natural disasters but also explains their causes, providing forecasts and practical measures to address the climate crisis. We recommend reviewing one of their reports — it will increase your awareness and could save your life.