Tornado Hits French Village of Horgues
Listen to the story
A tornado hit the small village of Horgues in the Hautes-Pyrénées region of France. The tornado caused serious damage in parts of the village.
A local resident described the event as "extremely localized." This means the tornado only affected a very small area. One side of the village had a lot of damage, while the other side had none at all.
Storms also hit the area southwest of Toulouse. The storms caused problems for roads and buildings. One road was closed to traffic for several days because of the damage.
There were strong lightning strikes during the storms. Streets in some towns became flooded with rainwater. In one restaurant, water poured in like a small waterfall.
People shared dramatic images and videos of the storms online. The pictures showed flooded streets, flashing lightning, and water flowing inside buildings.
The storms show how weather patterns can be very unpredictable. A tornado or storm can badly damage one place while leaving a nearby area completely untouched.
Vocabulary10 words
- tornado
- a very strong spinning wind that can destroy things
- damage
- harm or destruction caused to something
- localized
- happening only in one small place
- resident
- a person who lives in a place
- lightning
- a bright flash of light during a storm
- flooded
- filled or covered with too much water
- waterfall
- water falling from a high place
- images
- photos or pictures
- weather patterns
- the usual way weather changes over time
- traffic
- cars and vehicles moving on roads
Quiz
Answer key
1. It was very localized 2. It was closed to traffic for several days 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A _____ hit the small village of Horgues in the Hautes-Pyrénées region of France. The tornado caused serious _____ in parts of the village.
A local resident described the event as "extremely _____." This means the tornado only affected a very small area. One side of the village had a lot of damage, while the other side had none at all.
Storms also hit the area southwest of Toulouse. The storms caused problems for roads and buildings. One road was _____ to traffic for several days because of the damage.
There were strong _____ strikes during the storms. Streets in some towns became _____ with rainwater. In one restaurant, water poured in like a small _____.
People shared dramatic _____ and videos of the storms online. The pictures showed flooded streets, flashing lightning, and water flowing inside buildings.
The storms show how _____ can be very unpredictable. A tornado or storm can badly damage one place while leaving a nearby area completely untouched.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever experienced a sudden storm or tornado? What happened?
- Why do you think a tornado can damage one part of a village but not another?
- What safety steps do you think people should take during a tornado warning?
- How do you think social media helps people understand the impact of natural disasters like this one?