‘Cataclysmic scenes’ in Var as roads and homes destroyed by violent storms
At least three people died after being trapped in cars
The current conditions in the town are a far cry from the usual pristine views
Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock / 92krtz / X
Extremely violent storms in the Var department (south-east France) yesterday, May 21, caused at least three deaths.
The storms – a continuation of those that hit the south-west at the start of the week – caused widespread devastation, flooding roads, shops, houses, and causing some buildings to collapse.
The worst-hit area around the Lavandou commune saw over 250 mm of rain fall within a few hours – about the same that typically falls in a three-month period.
The three people who died were all trapped in vehicles that were swept away by rapidly rising waters – an elderly couple in Lavandou, and a woman in Vidauban later named as 80 year old Anne-Marie Thomas by local media.
Ms Thomas was in the passenger seat of a car being driven by a friend. The friend was rescued by a passerby but they were unable to save Ms Thomas.
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned the deaths in a post on X last night.
He promised the area would be rebuilt, and said the nation ‘would be there’ for the impacted communities.
Interior Minister-delegate François-Noël Buffet said last night the process to declare a catastrophe naturelle, allowing residents to make insurance claims, would be made as quickly as possible.
Homes still without water and power
Around 100 homes in the department remain without electricity, and over 2,000 do not have running water.
Residents in Cavalière – one of the worst-affected areas – are collecting dirty water from the local fountains for sanitation purposes, and the mairie is providing free bottles of drinking water.
Emergency services are delivering water to residents in hillier areas, as several elderly people are trapped in their homes and cannot get out. Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are in the area.
Dozens of people have been relocated to emergency accommodation.
Several roads in the south of the Var remain flooded and are closed
Widespread damage
Authorities are taking stock of the extent of damage across the commune today.
Several cars were swept away by the waters, hitting buildings, trees and other objects.
Buildings were also swept away, particularly wooden constructions near the department’s beaches.
The mayor of Lavandou, Gil Bernardi, said this morning the extent of the damage equalled “tens of millions of euros,” to local media France3.
The damage has impacted both residences and shops at a time when the latter are usually at their busiest due to the holiday season and make the majority of their annual income.
