Vast stretches of northern and northwestern France remained in the dark on Saturday as the country grapples with the destructive aftermath of Storm Goretti. While utility crews have made significant progress, roughly 92,000 households are still waiting for the lights to come back on after one of the most violent weather systems in recent years tore through the region.
France’s national electricity operator, Enedis, confirmed that while the situation is improving, the damage to the grid is extensive. At the height of the storm, some 380,000 homes were cut off. Although more than three-quarters of those connections have been restored, the “last mile” of repairs is proving difficult in the hardest-hit departments.
The focus of the emergency response remains centered on the regions of Manche, Calvados, Seine-Maritime, Eure, and Orne. In these areas, the sheer force of the wind turned trees into projectiles and snapped utility poles like matchsticks. Local authorities have urged patience as technicians navigate debris-clogged roads to reach severed lines.
The storm’s impact extended beyond residential lines, forcing a significant disruption in the nation’s energy production. Public broadcaster Franceinfo reported that the Flamanville nuclear power plant has been offline since Thursday night. EDF, the state energy giant, took the plant’s reactors—including the new EPR unit—offline as a safety precaution after high-voltage transmission lines were damaged by the gale.
Goretti’s ferocity was underscored by record-breaking data from meteorological stations. In the town of Gatteville, located at the tip of the Normandy peninsula, a peak wind gust of 213 kph (132 mph) was recorded—speeds typically associated with major hurricanes. The “sting jet” phenomenon, a core of exceptionally intense wind, is being blamed for the localized but extreme destruction.
Humanitarian costs have also begun to emerge. The Interior Ministry reported at least six people sustained injuries during the storm’s peak, though most were described as minor. Meanwhile, the storm’s reach was felt far beyond the coast; in Paris, heavy rains and squalls sent trees crashing onto parked cars and prompted the closure of several public parks.
For the nearly 100,000 families still using candles and gas stoves, the wait continues. The drop in temperatures expected over the weekend has added a layer of urgency to the restoration efforts, as households in rural Normandy and Brittany face a second night without heating.
As the weather finally begins to stabilize, the focus is shifting from emergency response to a long-term assessment of the infrastructure’s resilience. For now, the hum of chainsaws and the sight of utility vans remain the most common features of the northern French landscape.
