Severe Storms Flood Homes and Force Evacuations in Southern Corsica

A powerful storm struck the Porto-Vecchio area and neighboring Sotta on Wednesday evening, resulting in widespread flooding, road closures, and numerous emergency interventions. Local authorities reported that ten houses were flooded in the Precojo locality alone, while thirty individuals were placed in safety and four others were evacuated by firefighters in Southern Corsica.

The severe weather prompted a swift response from emergency services, deploying forty firefighters and thirteen vehicles to handle the crisis. Rescue operations included saving three people trapped inside their vehicle in Precojo, who were subsequently sheltered by relatives. Near the RT10 route, rising waters impacted six additional houses, leaving about a dozen residents to seek refuge with neighbors or family members.

Municipal authorities confirmed that impacted residents would receive temporary housing assistance, while two individuals with underlying medical conditions were transferred to the Ospedale clinic. In Sotta, where a motorist was also rescued from a trapped vehicle, local officials opened municipal facilities to shelter residents unable to return to their homes.

Emergency response officials and the municipality urged the public to stay away from the affected zones. "The time that the water takes to flow away, we ask people not to clutter the areas concerned and not to force passage," stated rescue operations commander Paul Tafani, emphasizing that reconnaissance efforts were ongoing because additional homes were likely affected.

The severe storms also disrupted transportation networks across the region. While the RT10 route was temporarily closed before reopening to traffic, several other roads remained restricted, including the Precojo-Ceccia road, the Palombaggia road, the RD 859 between Ceccia and Sotta, and the RD 459 near Cardetto. Authorities also reported multiple landslides and flooded points across Porto-Vecchio, Sotta, and Figari.

The severe weather event marks the beginning of a broader Mediterranean weather pattern affecting southeastern France and Corsica. Areas like the Languedoc, the lower Rhône valley, and eastern Corsica remain particularly vulnerable due to previous heavy rains experienced on October 19 and 20, which left soils heavily saturated.

Meteorological services noted that rainfall would persist and intensify, with both departments of Corsica scheduled to transition to an orange alert for rain and flooding on Thursday morning. Anticipated rainfall totals across the island are expected to reach 150 to 200 millimeters generally, and could locally exceed 300 millimeters over mountainous reliefs, raising continued concerns for additional flooding.

As emergency teams continue to monitor water levels and assess damages, populations under weather alerts are advised to stay away from watercourses, avoid flooded roads on foot or in vehicles, and refrain from entering basements. Officials continue to urge vigilance as the severe weather system moves across the region.