In Bihucourt, a small village in Pas-de-Calais of nearly 300 souls, the inhabitants were surprised this Sunday, around 7 p.m., by what appears to be a tornado which devastated everything in its path.
Dozens of house roofs were blown away by the force of the wind, reports La Voix du Nord on its website.
Less than two hours later, it was still difficult to measure the extent of the damage, but the many photos published on social networks showed a floor strewn with tiles, frames on the ground, collapsed walls or even uprooted trees.
Part of the roof of the church did not resist the force of the wind either, reports La Voix du Nord.
The electricity was also cut, while electrical wires are on the ground.
“I thought we were going to die with my boyfriend.
It rumbled everywhere with the continuous sound of thunder.
An hour after the tornado swept over my house, I was still shaking,” testified to La Voix du Nord a young resident of the town.
"It's like being sucked in," said another woman.
At one point, we thought it was hail that was falling but it was actually the tiles from the neighbor's shed that had flown away.
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A video, also published on social networks, confirms that the phenomenon which ravaged Bihucourt is a tornado.
It very clearly shows a "tube" rising in a stormy sky loaded with black clouds.
“The tornadic potential in the north of the country was sensitive this Sunday”, recalls on Twitter Keraunos, an observatory for thunderstorms and tornadoes in France.
🚨 TORNADO confirmed!
First video of the phenomenon impacting the town of Buhicourt in Pas-De-Calais.
Extensive damage is reported.
#France #thunderstorms #Tornado
Credit: Robin G. pic.twitter.com/89wAGa15w2
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) October 23, 2022
In addition to this major tornado, the north of France was hit this Sunday afternoon by violent storms, even though Météo France had not placed either the region or its departments on orange alert.
Normandy was particularly affected, but also Hauts-de-France and in particular Amiens (Somme) where a storm of rare intensity was observed by the inhabitants.
⛈ Storm in Amiens.
The 🪑 is the 🧳!
pic.twitter.com/gdO80XzsLb
— Julion Brs 👁️ (@JulionBrs) October 23, 2022