Advice to follow during storms in France whether indoors or outside
Homeowners may need a certificate to make an insurance claim following damage
Storms can be a problem at any time of the year in France, affecting both visitors and homeowners alike.
State forecaster Météo France uses its tiered system of weather warnings to issue alerts on a departmental basis during stormy periods.
Storms strike throughout the country but ‘hotspots’ include the mountainous foothills of the Pyrénées, Massif Central, Vosges, and Corsica, as well as central France, and Brittany and up the Loire Valley.
Provence and southern France experience épisodes cévenols / méditerranéens - periods with exceptionally heavy rain and thunderstorms that often lead to flooding.
Weather alerts issued by Météo France come in three forms:
Yellow, asking people to stay vigilant and act with caution but usually without giving any specific warnings
Orange, a heightened warning recommending people stay indoors and only go outside if necessary and to keep up with local weather reports. Specific actions such as closure of beaches, parks, etc, may be implemented and extreme conditions are possible.
Red, the highest alert which advises people to stay indoors unless they absolutely must go outside. Conditions will be at their most intense and damage and danger is expected. Many services may be altered including public transport and local outdoor spaces
Homeowners can prepare for storms by tying down outdoor furniture, moving cars from under trees at risk of being blown away, and making sure their basement is prepared against flooding.
They should have an emergency kit with supplies (flashlight with batteries, non-perishable food, water, warm clothes) in case of a power cut.
The graphic below gives good general advice for what to do if you are caught outside in a storm in a forest, or in the mountains, as well as tips to stay safe when indoors
If you are out driving when a storm hits, read our advice here.
Following a storm, you may need to make an insurance claim if there has been damage.
Unlike other weather phenomena, storms are not covered by the catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster) special coverage, and generally fall under standard policy cover.
However, your insurer may ask you to provide proof that a storm was in your area, which you can do via a lightning certificate (attestation de foudroiement) or bad weather certificate (certificat d’intempérie).
Our article here provides more information on how to obtain these certificates.
