The key facts

  • In Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône), a 75-year-old man swept away by flooding was found dead; in Corsica, rescuers are searching for the missing passenger of an SUV washed away by a river
  • Nearly 400 mm of rainfall fell near Solenzara, including 191 mm in one hour — Météo-France
  • The episode is linked to cyclone Adam, which killed at least four people in Spain

Victims and Missing Persons

On Tuesday, October 20, a 75-year-old man was found dead in Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône department); he had been swept away by floodwaters in the commune of Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts. A helicopter was deployed for the search. In Upper Corsica, according to the prefecture, a person went missing in Ghisonaccia: an SUV carrying two people was swept away by the Fium'orbo river — one escaped through the window, while rescuers are searching for the second.

Extreme Rainfall

North of Solenzara (Corse-du-Sud), nearly 400 millimeters of rain fell since the beginning of the episode, and 191 millimeters in one hour at the airport, Météo-France reported. The downpours began on Monday and caused major flooding from the Hérault department to Bouches-du-Rhône; by midday Tuesday their intensity was decreasing.

Evacuations and Transport Collapse

In Istres, about 50 km west of Marseille, evacuations took place: residents affected by flooding were housed in a gymnasium. In Hérault, Lunel was hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms — the municipality took in about 15 people at a shelter; footage of cars flooded up to their windows was posted on social media. In Nîmes, traffic on Tuesday morning was extremely difficult, the A9 motorway was closed for several hours, but by midday the situation had normalized, and municipal facilities closed since Monday were reopening — rail service remained disrupted. Around Marseille, sections of motorways were partially flooded and exits closed, and tram service was suspended on Tuesday morning.

Cause — Cyclone Adam

This Mediterranean weather episode is linked to the cold cyclone Adam, which also brought heavy rains and flooding to Spain, where, according to available information, at least four people died.