France Faces Deadly Storm Nils as Winds Top 100mph and Flooding Strands Thousands Across Multiple Regions

France is currently under siege from Storm Nils, a fierce weather system that has battered the country with hurricane-force winds and relentless rainfall.

The storm has left almost a million households without electricity and tragically claimed at least one life.

Residents are bracing for ongoing danger as authorities warn that conditions remain critical.

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Deadly Consequences Hit Across the Country

The human toll has already begun to mount.

In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a truck driver lost his life when a large tree branch fell onto his vehicle during the night.

Meanwhile, in Castelsarrasin, Tarn-et-Garonne, another individual suffered serious injuries after being struck by a falling tree.

Flooded streets have trapped people in their vehicles, with one woman in Haute-Garonne rescued from her partially submerged car after attempting to cross a road turned into a torrent.

In Gironde, around 30 residents had to be evacuated from riverside quays, spending the night in local schools as floodwaters rose.

Mayor Bruno Marty of the affected areas warned that the storm’s unpredictable nature makes the situation extremely dangerous.

“The storm is preventing the proper flow of water, so my colleagues and I remain on absolute alert because we don’t know exactly where it will lead,” he said.

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Schools, Transport, and Travel Disrupted Nationwide

Storm Nils has caused major disruption to everyday life.

Schools in the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales departments will remain closed, while trains have been cancelled in Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, and Occitanie.

Road travel is heavily restricted, and HGVs over 7.5 tonnes are banned from exceeding 60km per hour in vulnerable areas.

Electricity provider Enedis reported that 900,000 homes were without power as of Thursday morning, with Nouvelle-Aquitaine alone seeing 485,000 outages and Occitanie 318,000.

The government is urging residents to follow safety instructions closely and avoid unnecessary travel.

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Red and Orange Alerts Signal Extreme Danger

The French authorities have placed four departments on red alert and 30 more on orange, signaling severe and dangerous weather.

The Alps are under particular threat of avalanches due to heavy snowfall, while high tides are swelling rivers and threatening bridges across multiple regions.

Sébastien Léas, a forecaster with France’s national weather agency, described the storm as “remarkable,” comparing it to Storm Goretti, which caused significant damage in northwest France earlier this year.

Footage from affected regions shows overflowing roads, submerged quays, and rivers surging beyond their banks.

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Spain Feels the Effects of Storm Nils

Storm Nils is not limited to France.

Spain has also faced heavy flooding and damage, prompting the government to declare several emergency zones.

Authorities are working to coordinate cross-border relief and monitoring to mitigate further impacts.

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What’s Next?

Meteorologists warn that winds and flooding may persist for several more days.

Residents are advised to:

• Stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel

• Follow updates from local authorities

• Prepare for possible further power outages and water disruptions

• Monitor avalanche warnings in mountainous regions

Emergency services are on high alert, with rescue teams ready to respond to both urban flooding and mountain incidents.

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Summary

Storm Nils has unleashed unprecedented winds and flooding across France, leaving one dead, nearly a million without electricity, and causing widespread disruption to schools, transport, and daily life.

Authorities are urging caution as the country faces continued danger, with avalanches, high tides, and further flooding expected.

The storm’s impact has also spread into neighboring Spain, highlighting the broad regional threat.