Panic In France As Storm Ciaran Kills One,1.2 Million Denied Electricity

Storm Ciaran has  left one person dead and 1.2 million households without electricity on Thursday with parts of Brittany and Normandy on red alert for strong winds and the rest of the northwest on orange alert.

In the Finistere department in Brittany, where winds of up to 207 km/h were recorded on the Pointe du Raz, two people were slightly injured and road traffic remained prohibited until further notice, local prefect Alain Espinasse told RTL radio.”I repeat: stay at home,” Espinasse said.

Transport Minister Clement Beaune told Fanceinfo radio that a truck driver died in the Aisne department, northeast of Paris when a tree fell on his truck.

“This shows that even in regions that are not on red alert, there is a very high risk on the road,” Beaune said.

Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on social network X that the storm left 1.2 million de households without power.