Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

April 12, 2020: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 has been recorded off Amsterdam Islands, France  at 12:27 p.m. local time, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed. According to the USGS, the quake's epicenter was located 96 km north of Amsterdam Islands, France. The earthquake occurred at 10 km depth.  No damage is expected from the earthquake off Amsterdam today as there are no permanent residents nearby. Amsterdam is an island of the French Southern and Antarctic lands in the southern Indian Ocean

This list contains all major natural disasters in France in 2020 with detail report. Click for most recent natural disasters in France Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner

November 25, 2019: Flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rainfall has claimed lives of two people and leaves two missing in France. According to the French national weather service Meteo France, the area absorbed the equivalent of two months of average rainfall in 24 hours. In France , the Nice airport was briefly closed Saturday, The Weather Channel reported. Also in Italy, a 30-meter section of highway along a viaduct in coastal city of Savona has been collapsed. In Italy, rescuers are searching for a woman swept away by the surging Bormida river in the north.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake rocked La Rochelle, the southwestern city of France on Thursday morning at 08:46 am local time. According to the Central French Seismic Office, the earthquake occurred on April 28, 2016 with epicenter located 16 km SE of La Rochelle. 

One person was killed on Tuesday in a mudslide at a laboratory of France's national nuclear waste management agency in the northeast of the country, the emergency services said. At least two people were working at the site which is being prepared to receive highly radioactive nuclear waste, which would be stored at a depth of 500 metres (1,650 feet), France 24 reported. 

An avalanche in Savoie, eastern France claimed lives of five soldiers Monday afternoon. About eleven soldiers were caught up in the avalanche. Six soldiers were saved by rescuers.

Flood damage in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, southeastern France ( Boris Horvat/AFP) Violent storms and flooding in south-eastern France have claimed lives of at least 16 people and left three others missing prompting the official to announce a state of natural disaster in the region. Heavy rain hit the French Riviera which caused the river Brague to burst its banks, sending water coursing into nearby towns and cities, BBC reported. French Riviera lies on the Mediterranean coast and borders Italy, on Saturday evening.

Five skiers have been killed in two separate avalanches in the French Alps on Wednesday. Three skiers, two Austrian and one Italian, were killed in an avalanche on the Massif des Ecrins in the French Alps, Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported.

An avalanche in the Queyras mountain range in the French Alps has claimed lives of six skiers. The bodies of three victims were found at an altitude of 2,500 metres. Later, a team of 18 rescue workers, backed by a helicopter and sniffer dogs discovered the rest of the missing team of hikers, France24 has written.

Flash flooding in France has claimed lives of three people and left two others missing. Around 30 pupils trapped at Grimaud in the Gulf of St Tropez were rescued, an official of the Var department of the Mediterranean coast told The Local France.

Floods caused by torrential rains have claimed lives of five people in the southern French region of Le Gard, Euro News reported. Floodwaters swept away cars in Le Gard region.

This list contains all major natural disasters in France in 2014 with detail report. Click for most recent natural disasters in France November 2014 November 28: 3 dead, 2 missing in floods in France Flash flooding in France has claimed lives of three people and left two others missing. November 16: Deadly floods in France leave 5 victims Floods caused by torrential rains have claimed lives of five people in the southern French region of Le Gard. May 2014 May 22: Violent storms in France claim 2 lives Violent storms in France have claimed lives of at least two people and left tens of thousands without electricity. February 2014 February 23: Landslide in Isola, Southern France claims 2 lives Landslide in Isola, southern France has claimed lives of two children. January 2014 January 19: Recent floods in France kill 2, leave 1 missing Recent floods in France have claimed lives of at least two people and left third man missing.

Violent storms in France have claimed lives of at least two people and left tens of thousands without electricity, The Local reported. Fatalities are from Aveyron and the town of Bozouls. The sixty-old woman was killed in the Dordogne town of Bira, when the roof of a barn collapsed. A passenger in the campervan was killed when a tree was blown over in gale force winds in the town of Bozouls, The Local added quoting the Europe1 radio. Original post: Natural Disasters List May 22, 2014

Landslide in Isola, southern France has claimed lives of two children. Giant boulder crushed the chalet in French Alps where two families were staying, UPI reported. Three of the survivors managed to escape, while the remaining two were freed by the emergency service. Original post: Natural Disasters List February 23, 2014

Recent floods in France have claimed lives of at least two people and left third man missing. Fatalities include a 73-year-old man who died in basement flooding and another person was swept away in his car in French Riviera. More than 150 people have been evacuated from flood stricken areas, local medias reported. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will travel to the flood affected area early Monday. Original post: Natural Disasters List January 19, 2014

Tornado in France today has claimed life of a person and injured two others, local medias reported. Tornado caused heavy damages in Steent'je, near the French northern city of Bailleul. Photo below shows an inhabitant looking after tornado damage in Steent'je (Source: PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images). Tornado in France in July 2012 (French tornado) had claimed lives of four people. Original post: Natural Disasters List October 21, 2013

Two separate avalanche on Mont Blanc have claimed lives of four climbers and left one missing. According to The Local, an avalanche on Mont Blanc du Tacul claimed lives of two Italian climbers and injured another one. The injured Italian climber is having treatment at a hospital in nearby Annecy, 25 miles south of Geneva, Switzerland Another avalanche in French Alps claimed lives of two French alpinists. Firefighters and mountain rescue guides are involved in rescue operations. Mont Blanc avalanche in 2012 claimed live of eleven climbers, including three Britons. Mont Blanc is the highest peak in western Europe and one of the world's deadliest mountains. Original post: Natural Disasters List August 13, 2013

Lightning strike in France has claimed life of a person and injured one other, The local reported. Lightning hit a beachgoer near Saint Tropez in Riviera. The bolt of lightning claimed life of a person a week before too in Pietricaggio in Corsica, France. According to the French lightning protection association, lightning strikes 100-200 persons every year in France. Original post: Natural Disasters List July 19, 2013

Update 2013/06/20 -Death toll from floods in Lourdes has risen to 2. Fatalities are from Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Luz-Saint-Sauveur. -Several areas near the Pyrenees mountain range are placed on "red alert" by French official. Flooding in Lourdes, south-western France has claimed life of a 70-year-old woman. Woman and her husband tried to escape from their car but were swept away in Lourdes in Pierrefitte-Nestelas. Emergency personnel rescued her husband. More than two thousands people were evacuated from the flood zone, Radio France Internationale reported. France flooding has closed Catholic pilgrimage site in Lourdes. Garonne river has also washed away a bridge at Saint-Laurent-de-Neste. Local schools and some roads are closed in the area. Below is video of flooding in Lourdes. Lourdes is a popular Roman Catholic shrine where around 6 million visitors people visit in a year. Earlier in October 2012, hundreds of people were evacuated due to flooding in

Météo France has put 19 departments in the Ile De France region and south-western France on Orange alert for storms. Météo France has predicted very violent locally with a risk of gales and hail stones. Winds could reach 80kph and hailstones as big as 3cm. Fire fighters have already received hundreds of calls of basement flooding, uprooted trees and damaged roofs this morning. Earlier hail storms hit Tours to the South West of Paris. Storm alert will remain in place until 6 am on Tuesday. Original post: Natural Disasters List June 17, 2013