The storm of Saturday June 29 at the end of the day in Aube and Haute-Marne had serious consequences. Three people died in the Brienne-le-Château sector (Aube) according to the Aube firefighters. Heavy rainfall and squalls caused damage. Numerous interventions by firefighters followed.
An orange storm warning had been issued for all departments of Champagne-Ardenne, this Saturday, June 29, 2024. The storm hit Troyes (Aube) and its surroundings around 7:00 p.m.
Very quickly, downpours of water fell. The gusts caused tree branches to fall, and occasionally shutters on certain homes, according to a witness on site. In the Brienne-le-Château sector, near Rosnay-l’Hôpital, a fall of trees caused the death of three people, confirm the Aube firefighters, contacted by France 3 Champagne-Ardenne this Sunday, June 30 . They are three people aged around 80 years old. The section of road is lined with trees, on departmental 396.
The mayor of Rosnay-l’Hôpital, Brice Martin, was not present at the time of the tragedy, but his second deputy, shocked, witnessed this accident. “The motorists stopped in front of his house. My deputy went out to clean the road, he returned home and then people drove to safety in front of his house, but not in the right place, not at the right time. A century-old chestnut tree broke at a height of 5 m. It broke under the force of the wind. Falling on the car violently. We had violent episodes announced, but people came out anyway. Some even roll in the water”. Pointing out unconsciousness in the face of danger.
“My assistant called me with great emotion, he experienced this tragedy up close. The firefighters came to free the vehicle. Because the tree is massive. There were four of them in the car. Three people died. A fourth person is between life and death. All from the area. They were supposed to go home. Around 7 p.m. It started suddenly with cumulus clouds that became threatening.”
According to Patrick Blond, a local resident and press correspondent, “At around 7:45 p.m., a tree fell on a car driving on the D396, between Rosnay-l’Hôpital and Brienne-le-Château. The toll was serious: three people died and a fourth in critical condition. On site, the firefighters from Brienne and Chavanges, the Smur and the gendarmes from the brigade community, as well as Commander Maxime Ladret from the Bar-sur-Aube gendarmerie company.”
The situation was particularly impressive in the parks of the city of Troyes, closed at 4:00 p.m. to prevent any risk. The town hall also cancelled a festive event planned at the Parc des Moulins, scheduled for the following day.
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Thunderstorm in a park in Troyes, Saturday June 29, 2024.
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©Clement Meunier, France Télévisions
Falling trees (not just branches) have been reported locally. On the roads, https://twitter.com/Meteovilles/status/1807118970383925310 on street furniture, hindering traffic already made difficult by falling branches.
A webcam recorded a video of the https://twitter.com/hchad59/status/1807102611083968807. Et https://twitter.com/MeteoExpress/status/1807104190629413200 particular (see below).
The Aube fire and rescue service (Sdis) is overwhelmed with calls from the Troyes conurbation. The Pays d’Amance, in the south of the department, is also affected.
The shape and size of the clouds (arcus) could be impressive. The images and videos posted on social networks attest to this (see the tweet below).
The damage is also significant in Froncles (Haute-Marne). Its mayor, Patrice Voirin, told France 3 Champagne-Ardenne that “Around 8:00 p.m., the sky darkened and it started raining, a lot of water in a very short time. I measured 60 millimeters of water in half an hour. It was a very violent storm with a lot of wind at the beginning. I haven’t seen anything like that in the 30 years I’ve lived here. We have a lot of flooded cellars.”
Significant mudslides took place in Haute-Marne in Poissons, during the night of June 29 to 30.
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© Haute-Marne Fire Brigade
In Haute-Marne, hail also fell en masse in the evening. The department is also the one in France which experienced the greatest number of lightning strikes, more than 6,000 in 24 hours.
Considerable damage. In total, pAround 300 firefighters and around forty police officers were mobilized throughout the night due to bad weather. “Despite the bad weather in recent hours, all activities are being held this Sunday, June 30 for the passing of the Olympic flame,” say the tourism stakeholders of Lake Der.
