A gendarmerie vehicle (illustration).
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ALLILI MOURAD / SIPA
"The tornado formed at sea and struck the island at the level of the communes of Grand Village and Château d'Oléron", explained the commander of the Rochefort gendarmerie group, Ludovic Burette.
On Wednesday afternoon, these bad weather caused three minor injuries and material damage to around forty homes, the gendarmerie said on Thursday.
#Tornado in Charente-Maritime observed at 4:45 p.m. in the Yves / Fouras sector.
Video: Clémence Verrière.
Posted with permission. @ KeraunosObs @meteofrance @ F3PoitouChtes pic.twitter.com/DqU4NrTci3
- Jeremy (@jerembout) September 23, 2020
"It then continued its route towards the continent and touched Marennes before skirting the coast and losing strength by entering more inland", he further described.
Roofs torn off, motorhomes lying down
On Oléron, three light injuries are to be deplored, including two riders thrown off by their frightened horses.
About forty houses, a nursing home, a nursery and a supermarket were affected by material damage, and roofs were torn off.
On the continent, in Marennes, a dozen buildings have lost tiles but the damage is less, according to the gendarmerie officer.
On the other hand at the municipal campsite of Port-des-Barques, at the mouth of the Charente, further north, several camper vans were flattened by the force of the wind and at least two suffered from falling trees, without any 'there are no victims to be deplored, according to the firefighters of Charente-Maritime.
Planet
Bouches-du-Rhône: A waterspout observed off La Ciotat
Planet
Var: Four mini-tornadoes cause several minor injuries
Poitou-Charentes
Severe weather
Tornado
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Island of Oléron