At least four people have died across southern France following severe flooding triggered by Storm Adam, with one person reported missing as of Thursday, according to BBC News. The storm unleashed widespread inundation across the region on Tuesday, submerging streets, disrupting transport networks, and forcing dozens of residents into emergency shelters. One additional person sustained injuries during the disaster.
The fatalities included two women, aged 86 and 26, who were discovered drowned in a cellar in the Bouches-du-Rhône region. In Corsica, a 4x4 vehicle was swept away by floodwaters, with one occupant managing to escape through a window while another man perished. Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the fourth death.
The rainfall intensity was extraordinary. According to Actu.fr, the storm deposited 538 millimeters of rain in six hours, marking a record for mainland France. Connexion France reported that Météo-France recorded 350 millimeters in six hours in Haute-Corse, with 189 millimeters falling in just one hour, while Saint-Chamas in Bouches-du-Rhône received 235 millimeters during the episode.
In the communities of Mouriès and Saint-Martin-de-Crau, situated between Montpellier and Marseille, emergency shelters accommodated dozens of displaced residents following the inundation. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot reported on X that roads and rail lines throughout the area had been disrupted.
The water has risen to unprecedented levels,stated Jacques Witkowski, prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in a Wednesday statement. He added:
We are mobilised at an exceptional level to resolve several issues.
What triggered this extreme weather?
Storm Adam was designated by Spain's AEMET on 16 October as the season's inaugural high-impact weather system, with forecasters warning that its remnants could deliver more than 300 millimeters of rain to south-eastern France. The storm had already devastated eastern Spain before reaching France, claiming at least three lives there.
What happened in Spain?
Several Mediterranean coastal towns became isolated by floodwaters, prompting helicopter deployments to extract people stranded on rooftops. Members of the Military Emergencies Unit recovered the body of a woman in the town of Oliva, Valencia, during rescue operations on Monday. Two additional women were confirmed dead over the weekend: one whose body washed ashore on a beach in Sagunto, in the eastern region of Valencia, and another swept away by floodwaters in Cabrera de Mar, near Barcelona.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged on Tuesday that the national government would allocate resources for reconstruction efforts during a visit to the Valencia region. The Valencian government approved an aid package of €23.5 million (£20 million) on Tuesday for those affected by Storm Adam.
What weather threats lie ahead?
Additional severe weather is approaching France. Storm Austen, a newly designated weather system advancing from the Atlantic, is forecast to reach the country's north-west from Thursday evening into Friday. Météo-France has issued an orange-level wind warning for five western departments during this period: Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine and Manche. According to Actu.fr, coastal gusts could reach 130–140 km/h, with rough seas creating a risk of wave overtopping.
Key Facts
- Storm Adam deposited a record 538 millimeters of rain in six hours across mainland France
- At least four deaths confirmed in southern France, with one person missing as of Thursday
- Storm Austen expected to bring winds of 130–140 km/h to northern France from Thursday evening
- Spain reported at least three deaths from the same storm system
- Emergency shelters accommodated dozens of residents in Mouriès and Saint-Martin-de-Crau
