Flash flood swamps homes in Lodève after 150mm of rain in hours
A flash flood tore through the French town of Lodève overnight, flooding homes and sweeping away cars, with no injuries reported, as Hérault remained under a storm alert.
Update ·
Updated with new reports from our sources.
A flash flood struck Lodève, in the southern French department of Hérault, overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday, as 150 millimetres of rain fell in a few hours, Franceinfo reported. The flooding caused extensive damage to homes but no injuries, the broadcaster said.
Firefighters evacuated residents from several parts of the town as water levels rose fast. Resident Carole Pierrat filmed her house under roughly a metre of water in her home office, with her living room also wrecked, Franceinfo reported. "It's a catastrophe. It's all material things," she said.
Martin Plivard, who lives in a converted van in Lodève, was woken when floodwater began rocking his vehicle and had to be evacuated by firefighters, Franceinfo reported. Electricity poles were knocked down, and cars and at least one truck were swept away and buried under branches in the town, the broadcaster said.
The flooding also hit the nearby hamlet of Taillevent, where streets were inundated, Franceinfo reported. The level of the Orb river, which runs through the area, had gone down by Wednesday, and residents began clearing flooded cellars, the broadcaster said.
Météo France had placed Hérault, along with the neighbouring Gard department, under an orange rain-and-flood warning from Tuesday morning to Wednesday night, news site Actu.fr reported. Forecasters expected up to 150 millimetres of rain in the worst-hit spots and 50 to 80 millimetres elsewhere in the department, with wind and hail also forecast, Actu.fr said.
Forecasters also said the Languedoc and Cévennes areas, further along the same weather system, could see 80 to 120 millimetres of rain in a short period as the heavy rain pushed towards the lower Rhône valley and Provence overnight, La Dépêche du Midi reported.
The same spell of unsettled weather brought thunderstorms to south-western France on Tuesday, with 20 to 40 millimetres of rain falling in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes and Gironde departments before the storms moved towards Poitou, the Charentes and Brittany, La Dépêche du Midi reported.
What we know
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo A flash flood hit Lodève, in Hérault, overnight Tuesday into Wednesday after 150mm of rain fell in a few hours, Franceinfo reported
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo No injuries were reported, Franceinfo said
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo Firefighters evacuated residents as water rose quickly, including a man living in a converted van
- 2+ outlets · Actu.fr, La Dépêche du Midi Hérault and Gard were placed under an orange rain-and-flood warning from Tuesday morning to Wednesday night, Actu.fr reported
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo The Orb river's level had gone down by Wednesday, and residents began clearing flood damage
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Forecasters said this spell of heavy rain over Hérault was less intense than one that hit the east of the department the previous week, Actu.fr reported, pointing to a pattern of repeated Mediterranean downpours dumping unusually large amounts of rain in short bursts across southern France this autumn.
Updates
·
Updated with new reports from our sources.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Actu.fr: L'Hérault placé en vigilance orange durant 2 jours, un nouvel épisode méditerranéen attendu
- La Dépêche du Midi: Météo : de fortes pluies en Aquitaine dans l'après-midi, nouvel épisode méditerranéen sur le Languedoc en fin de soirée, l'Hérault et le Gard en alerte orange pluie-inondation
- Franceinfo: À Lodève, dans l'Hérault, une crue éclair provoque d'importants dégâts
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Where did the flash flood happen?
- In Lodève, a town in the Hérault department in southern France, and the nearby hamlet of Taillevent, Franceinfo reported.
- Were there any casualties?
- No injuries were reported, Franceinfo said.
- How much rain fell?
- About 150 millimetres fell in a few hours overnight, according to Franceinfo, while Météo France had warned the worst-hit areas could see similar totals.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.