On Saturday midday, a mini-tornado struck the town of Mios on the Arcachon basin, affecting three neighborhoods including the city center. Around 300 homes were damaged, with no injuries reported. About 100 firefighters were mobilized to respond.
A severe thunderstorm cell crossed the Arcachon basin on Saturday, heading southeast through Gironde and over Mios. Philippe Caron, forecaster at Météo France, explained to AFP: «within this storm, we had very localized and strong winds. We suspect it was a swirling phenomenon, like a mini-tornado, impossible to predict».
The gust swept a strip 3 km long and 400 meters wide, damaging roofs, walls, and trees in about 300 homes. Captain Nicolas Braz, spokesperson for Gironde firefighters, noted that three neighborhoods in Mios, including the city center, were hit, with no injuries.
Rescue services and the prefecture tallied the damage: roofs torn off, walls collapsed, and trees uprooted. Around 100 firefighters were deployed to the scene to secure the area. Mios town hall opened a municipal room to shelter affected residents if needed.
This localized event occurred as neighboring Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments were on orange alert for rain-flooding, with saturated soils and submersion risks.
