Storm Aurora in Alsace: power cuts, roads blocked, trains canceled this Thursday, October 21 – France 3 Régions

Wind gusts ranging from 85 to 171 km / h hit Alsace from 5 a.m. on Thursday, October 21. As Météo France announced in its forecasts, storm Aurora intensified in the plain between 7 and 10 a.m. Before arriving in the east of the country, the depression affected Normandy, Hauts-de-France and the Paris region, causing power cuts. In Alsace, traffic on roads or railways has been complicated.

In total, the Bas-Rhin firefighters received 198 calls between 3 and 7 a.m. There were 107 interventions, some of which are still in progress, mainly pavement clearings. Around a hundred firefighters and around thirty machines are still on call. In the Haut-Rhin, the operational road coordination unit (COCR) intervened 60 times, in particular for fallen trees. 18 other interventions were carried out by the firefighters

An “exceptional” gust of 171 km / h was recorded at Markstein (Haut-Rhin) between 4 and 5 hours, beating the monthly record of 162 km / h on October 27, 2013.

Blocked roads and canceled trains

For several hours, the D29 was blocked between the Oberhoffen roundabout (at the level of the shopping area) and the recycling center roundabout due to a fallen tree across the road. In Strasbourg, the tram lines A, B, D and E, have also been impacted, announced the Strasbourg transport company (CTS). Replacement buses have been put in place for lines C and E.

Elsewhere, gusts of wind still between 75 and 95 km / h in the plains. The northern part of the region will be particularly exposed over the next three hours to a risk of wind gusts exceeding 90 – 100 km / h. https://t.co/IqQIaXXiCp

– Weather Tracking Alsace (@ msa6768) October 21, 2021

TER traffic was interrupted throughout the morning in both directions following falling trees on the tracks.

• Strasbourg-Haguenau
• Strasbourg-Saverne
• Strasbourg-Nancy
• Strasbourg-Metz
• Strasbour-Saint-Dié (replacement coach)
• Colmar-Metzeral (replacement coach)
• Mulhouse-Kruth (replacement coach)

Electricity cut off

According to ES, 5,000 homes had no more electricity early this morning, in the north of Alsace (on the Soultz-sous-Forêts side) in the Marmoutier sector as well as at the beginning of the Bruche valley. A thousand could be resupplied immediately, and 3,000 within two hours.

By mid-morning, there was still a big cut on the side of Lutzelhouse, where a team of technicians was still on site. There, the recovery may take time, because the cut is due to a tree lying on the line.

Parks and cemeteries closed in Strasbourg

As a precaution, the City of Strasbourg closed its nine municipal cemeteries, as well as six parks: Pourtalès, Orangerie, Contades, Citadelle, Schulmeister and Albert Schweitzer. They were reopened in the afternoon.