Storms Cause Damage in France's Grésivaudan Valley
Listen to the story
Strong storms have caused serious damage in the Isère region of France.
The storms hit the Grésivaudan valley, damaging power lines, a railway line and causing a mudslide.
A mudslide happens when heavy rain makes mud and earth move quickly down a hillside.
The damage to the railway line means trains cannot run normally through the area.
Electricity supplies were also affected because the storms broke power lines.
In another part of Isère, an unusual weather event took place during a heatwave.
A heatwave is a period of unusually hot weather that can last several days.
Despite the heat, hail fell from the sky, surprising many local residents.
Some people said it looked like snow was falling, even though temperatures were very high.
Hail forms inside storm clouds when strong winds carry rain upward, where it freezes.
Meanwhile, in the town of Saint-Ciers-sur-Gironde, a large hangar was destroyed.
A hangar is a big building often used to store vehicles, equipment or farm goods.
Witnesses said the structure collapsed "like a house of cards", meaning it fell apart quickly and completely.
Local reports suggest the collapse may have been caused by a tornado.
A tornado is a violent, spinning column of air that can destroy buildings in seconds.
These events show how sudden and severe summer storms can be in parts of France.
Authorities are likely to assess the damage and repair the affected infrastructure soon.
Vocabulary10 words
- storm
- very bad weather with strong wind, rain or thunder
- mudslide
- wet earth that moves quickly down a hill
- power lines
- wires that carry electricity to buildings
- heatwave
- many days in a row of very hot weather
- hail
- small, hard balls of ice that fall like rain
- hangar
- a large building used to store big objects
- tornado
- a fast, spinning wind that can destroy things
- infrastructure
- basic systems like roads, railways and power lines
- residents
- people who live in a place
- collapse
- to suddenly fall down
Quiz
Answer key
1. Power lines, a railway line, and land (mudslide) 2. It fell during a heatwave 3. A tornado
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Strong _____ have caused serious damage in the Isère region of France.
The storms hit the Grésivaudan valley, damaging power lines, a _____ line and causing a mudslide.
A _____ happens when heavy rain makes mud and earth move quickly down a hillside.
Electricity supplies were also affected because the storms broke power _____.
In another part of Isère, an unusual weather event took place during a _____.
Despite the heat, _____ fell from the sky, surprising many local residents.
In the town of Saint-Ciers-sur-Gironde, a large _____ was destroyed.
Witnesses said the structure collapsed "like a house of _____".
Local reports suggest the collapse may have been caused by a _____.
These events show how sudden and severe summer storms can be in parts of _____.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever experienced a sudden storm? What happened?
- Why do you think hail can fall during a heatwave?
- What problems can damaged railways and power lines cause for people?
- How can communities prepare for severe storms and tornadoes?