Exceptional thunderstorm batters Côte d'Armor, with over 800 lightning strikes recorded within an hour

Storm Causes Chaos in Brittany: Homes Without Power, Buildings Destroyed, and Unpredictable Weather

An intense storm swept through the Côtes-d'Armor area of Brittany on August 19, 2024, causing widespread damage and disruption. The storm, which was difficult to predict, brought with it heavy rainfall, lightning, and high winds.

According to reports, lightning struck over 800 times during the storm. This extreme weather event led to several electrical meters exploding in multiple locations, including four that had to be repaired by the electrician from Enedis in the nearby perimeter. As a result, as of Wednesday, August 20, 1,000 homes were still without electricity in Brittany.

The storm also caused significant flooding in several buildings. In the town of Loudéac, water from the terrace above flooded a restaurant, affecting the lighting ducts and causing the false ceiling to collapse. The place is still speckled with droplets and continues to drip. A nearby garage was also flooded, with cars submerged to a level of 80 centimeters.

Sadly, the storm also resulted in several buildings being destroyed, with six houses burning down and Marie-Hélène Quémard becoming a victim of a fire caused by the storm. Eleven people were relocated to spend the night safely on Tuesday, August 19.

Despite the chaos and destruction caused by the storm, Marie-Hélène Quémard and her husband were unharmed. Having several electrical meters explode due to the storm is a first, making this event even more unprecedented.

The storm also caused disruption to train traffic, with many fallen trees blocking tracks in the greater Berlin area, where the storm caused extensive damage.

As the clean-up and repair efforts continue, the people of Brittany are left to pick up the pieces and move forward from this unpredictable and devastating storm.