Three Dead, Thousands Without Power After Storm Nils Lashes France and Spain

By Mark Agwu · Published February 15, 2026

A powerful storm named Nils tore through southern France and northern Spain this week, leaving at least three people dead, widespread damage, flooding, travel chaos, and hundreds of thousands of households without electricity as emergency services scramble to respond to the aftermath.

Officials on 13 February 2026 reported the deaths and extensive disruptions caused by Nils, which brought violent winds, heavy rain, and violent flooding across regions that were already on high alert. (RTL Info)

Fatalities and Injuries Across Affected Regions

Storm Nils’s impact has been deadly in both France and Spain:

• In France, a truck driver was killed when a falling tree branch penetrated his vehicle in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, while another man died after falling from a ladder in his garden in the Tarn-et-Garonne department.
• In Spain, authorities in Catalonia confirmed the death of a 46-year-old woman whose injuries were caused by the collapse of a warehouse roof during the storm. (CNEWS)

Dozens more people have been injured in weather-related incidents across the region, including reports of serious injuries from falling trees and debris.

Unprecedented Power Outages and Emergency Response

One of the most widespread effects of Storm Nils has been the loss of electrical power to hundreds of thousands of households, particularly in France:

• According to grid operator Enedis, at the storm’s peak up to 900,000 customers were left without power in regions including Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie before restoration efforts gradually reduced the outage figures.
• Even after partial restoration, 450,000 households remained without electricity on Friday morning, with ongoing disruption to local infrastructure.

New power cuts were reported in some areas earlier Thursday, with one source indicating up to 550,000 households still without power late in the evening amid continuing wind threats and flood concerns. (upday News)

Emergency crews mobilized thousands of workers - including approximately 3,000 technicians - to repair power lines and restore service, often hampered by flooded fields and blocked roads.

Transport, Travel and Flood Alerts

Storm Nils brought widespread transport disruption:

• Flights, trains, and ferries were cancelled across affected areas due to high winds and track flooding.
• Road travel was chaotic, with flooding and fallen trees blocking key routes in southern France and northern Spain. (Digital Journal)

In response to the severe weather, Météo-France issued red and orange alerts across multiple regions for high winds and flooding, with several departments, including Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne, still under flood warnings as water levels in rivers like the Garonne continued to rise.

Local Voices: Shock and Impact on Daily Life

Residents described Nils as unusually ferocious:

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ingrid, a florist in Perpignan, recalling the violent winds that uprooted trees and dented cars overnight. “During the night, you could hear tiles lifting and bins rolling down the street - it was crazy.” (The Witness)

Similar accounts came from other towns across southwestern France, where wind gusts of up to 160 km/h were recorded, forcing people to stay indoors as emergency crews worked through the night.

Spain and Portugal Also Affected

While France bore the brunt of the destruction, the storm also disrupted regions of Spain and Portugal:

• In Spain, in addition to the confirmed fatality in Catalonia, dozens of injuries were reported from falling trees and storm debris. (The Sun Malaysia)
• Portugal saw infrastructure damage, including a partially collapsed viaduct, causing concern for public safety and transport links.

Authorities in these countries issued weather warnings and urged residents to avoid non-essential travel, especially around flood-prone zones and coastal areas.

Warnings and Future Weather Risks

Meteorologists warn that although Storm Nils’s core has moved eastward away from French shores, flood alerts and wind warnings remain in effect in some regions. Additional weather fluctuations could bring continued rainfall and rising river levels, prompting ongoing vigilance from emergency services.

Authorities also cautioned citizens to remain alert for residual hazards, including fallen power lines, debris on roads, and unstable structures left weakened by the storm.

Government and Utility Company Actions

In response to the crisis:

• The French government and local authorities coordinated restoration efforts, calling on residents to prioritize safety and assist emergency teams by reporting hazards.
• Utility provider Enedis said it had roughly 50 per cent of customers restored by Friday morning and continued its push to reconnect the rest amid ongoing flood impediments. (The Local France)

Similarly, Spanish and Portuguese authorities engaged local power and emergency services to address outages and infrastructure damage left in the storm’s wake.

Conclusion

Storm Nils has left a significant human and infrastructural toll in its path through France and Spain, with at least three confirmed deaths, extensive power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of households, and major transport disruptions. As recovery efforts continue, officials have urged residents to remain vigilant, avoid flooded areas, and follow local safety guidance.

The storm highlights the ongoing vulnerability of critical infrastructure to extreme weather events, prompting calls for improved emergency planning and upgraded resilience of power grids and rural transport networks moving forward.