This archive report was first published on 11 August 2019.
Published on August 11, 2019, a devastating tornado tore through southwestern Luxembourg, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The storm, which reached wind speeds of 128 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour), damaged over 160 houses and hospitalized at least 14 people.
Another tornado struck the city center of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, on the same day, gathering debris and whipping across a river. The government of Luxembourg reported that two people sustained more serious injuries and remained in hospital on Friday night.
Significant destruction occurred in the Kaerjeng and Petange communes in Luxembourg. In Kaerjeng, around 100 houses were damaged, with up to 30 losing part of or the entirety of their roof. A further 60 houses were damaged in Petange.
The tornadoes also downed multiple pylons, damaging a high-voltage power line. A branch of the supermarket chain Cactus in the town of Bascharage was cordoned off by police, and remained closed on Saturday.
The tornado moved into France on Friday evening, damaging houses in the Meurthe-et-Moselle region. Strong winds impacted the communes of Longwy, Herserange, and Saulnes, with the local fire department warning locals to “beware of falling objects.”
