Storm Kirk Causes Devastation Across Europe with Floods and Power Outages

The remnants of Hurricane Kirk swept across Western Europe, affecting several countries with severe weather conditions on October 9, 2024. Heavy rains and strong winds were recorded in Portugal, Spain, and France, causing significant disruptions and power outages.

In France, the state weather agency, Meteo France, issued warnings of gusts reaching 120-150 kph (75-93 mph) in the Pyrenees and heavy rainfall in the southern Picardie and greater Paris regions. The ongoing rainfall and consequent saturation raised substantial flood risks. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France’s Minister of Energy and Ecological Transition, emphasized the significance of the event by stating, “We have to expect flooding. These episodes will have a tendency to recur due to climate change affecting our daily lives.”

Severe weather in southern France led to devastating impacts in the Herault department, where storm swells overturned boats in the Mediterranean, resulting in the death of one amateur sailor and serious injury to another. Furthermore, Enedis, the network supplier, reported that approximately 64,000 people experienced power outages in the region. The department of Seine-et-Marne was placed on a red alert, with the Grand Morin river threatening to overflow. Enedis disclosed that over 35,000 households in Pyrenees-Atlantiques were also without electricity.

Portugal experienced nearly 1,600 incidents, most of which involved uprooted trees disrupting traffic. E-Redes, the country’s electricity grid operator, confirmed that 400,000 residents in northern Portugal were initially left without power as Kirk made landfall. Porto, the country’s northern city, faced the most damage with uprooted trees and halted rail services resulting from fallen debris. Weather officials had issued a yellow alert for the coastline where waves reached a height of seven meters (23 feet).

In Spain, the storm prompted an orange alert in the northern and northwestern regions, with Asturias registering wind speeds of up to 140 kph. Galicia reported mudslides and road blockages due to fallen trees. The adverse effects of the storm were felt significantly in urban areas where emergency services continued to handle fallen debris and ensure public safety.