Deadly storm nils leaves two dead in france as southwest regions face continued flood threats

Storm Nils has claimed two lives in France while leaving hundreds of thousands without power and triggering serious flooding concerns across the country’s southwestern regions. The powerful weather system, described by France’s national weather service Météo-France as having “uncommon strength,” swept across the nation from Wednesday night into Thursday before continuing its destructive path eastward into Europe.

The storm’s human toll includes one death in the Landes department on Thursday and a second fatality in Tarn-et-Garonne, where a man was discovered in his garden. At the height of the storm, nearly 900,000 customers lost electrical service, prompting utility operator Enedis to deploy 3,000 personnel, including 2,100 specialized technicians, to restore power. By Friday morning, approximately half of the affected customers had their electricity restored.

While wind alerts have been lifted, flooding remains a critical concern for southwestern France. Météo-France has maintained red flood alerts for the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments through Saturday due to a significant flooding episode along the Garonne River. These represent the highest level of weather warnings, indicating potentially life-threatening conditions.

The storm’s impact highlights the increasing intensity of extreme weather events affecting Europe. As climate patterns continue to shift, such powerful storms may become more frequent, underscoring the importance of robust emergency response systems and flood preparedness measures. French authorities continue monitoring water levels and coordinating recovery efforts in the most severely affected areas.