A powerful cold low-pressure system, identified as Adam, has triggered severe weather across south-eastern France, causing significant flooding as it moved from the Occitanie region toward Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The torrential rainfall, which began on Monday, started to show signs of easing by midday Tuesday.
In the Bouches-du-Rhône department, a 75-year-old individual was confirmed dead on Tuesday, 20 October. The victim was swept away by floodwaters in the commune of Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts, near Istres. Emergency services deployed a helicopter in an effort to locate the person before the recovery. Approximately fifty kilometres west of Marseille in Istres, local authorities coordinated evacuations, with affected residents relocated to a municipal sports hall.
Separately, a search operation is underway in Haute-Corse for one person reported missing in Ghisonaccia. According to the prefecture, two individuals were traveling in a 4×4 vehicle that was carried away by the Fium'orbu river. While one person managed to escape through a window, the other remains missing, with rescue teams actively searching the area.
Meteorological data from Météo-France indicated extreme rainfall, particularly north of Solenzara in Corse-du-Sud, where nearly 400 millimetres of rain have been recorded since the start of the event, including 191 millimetres in a single hour at the local airport.
The flooding caused widespread disruption across several departments. In the Hérault department, the town of Lunel experienced heavy thunderstorms, leading to submerged cars and the displacement of roughly fifteen people to a municipal reception centre. Meanwhile, in Nîmes, traffic was severely impacted, the A9 motorway faced closures for several hours, and rail services remained disrupted on Tuesday morning. Although municipal facilities began reopening by midday, conditions were still difficult.
Around Marseille, sections of motorways were partially flooded with closed slip roads, and tram services were suspended on Tuesday morning. This weather episode is part of the same system that impacted Spain, where at least four fatalities have been reported.
