THE DORDOGNE is recovering and picking up debris from the storm that struck the department on Monday when several houses were struck by lightning.

About 100 homes still had no electricity last night and a group of scouts have spent their second night in a village hall after being evacuated from a waterlogged campsite – they are expected to move back to their tents today.

According to the fire brigade, there were at least 14 fires reported in total (not all involving buildings) and 185 firefighters were mobilized to fight fires and deal with floods and fallen trees.

In the Bergerac area an unoccupied house was partially destroyed in Montpeyroux, at Monbazillac an alcohol store was destroyed and at Allès-sur-Dordogne a house and a barn were damaged.

In the Sarlat area, a couple and their two children from Calviac-en-Périgord had to move to temporary accommodation after the top floor of their home was destroyed. The mayor is organizing a collection to help them.

At Belvès a classified chateau was damaged and in the west of the Dordogne at Saint-Rabier the tower of another, privately-owned, chateau was slightly damaged.

Also during the night 75 éclaireurs israelites (members of a Jewish scouting organization) and 16 adults were evacuated from their campsite. Firefighters took them to a village hall in Le Bugue.