Storms Nils and Oriana: Energy Paralysis and Casualties in Western Europe

In mid-February 2026, Western Europe became the target of two coupled baric systems: storm Nils and storm Oriana. The chronology of events indicates a progressive degradation of infrastructure security under the influence of violent atmospheric phenomena.

The first strike occurred on the night of February 11-12, when storm Nils reached the Atlantic coast of France. Winds in the Landes department reached speeds of 180 km/h, leading to the immediate collapse of the power grid. At its peak, 900,000 households were without electricity. The operator Enedis described the scale of the damage as historic, comparable to storm Lothar of 1999. The consequences were fatal: a truck driver was killed by a fallen tree and a retiree died while securing his property. Simultaneously, the north of the country, including the Île-de-France region, was paralyzed by snowstorms, forcing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) to cancel 30% of flights at Charles de Gaulle airport.

A direct consequence of Nils's passage was hydrological destabilization. Saturated soil could not absorb further rainfall, resulting in the rapid swelling of rivers in southwestern France. The level of the Garonne in Marmande exceeded record levels from 2021, reaching 10.18 meters. In the town of Aiguillon, flood defenses were breached, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents. The Vigicrues service described the situation as 'generalized flooding,' indicating no possibility of a rapid water level drop.

As Nils weakened over France, storm Oriana moved over the Iberian Peninsula, amplifying the destruction begun by the previous system. In Spain, particularly in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, winds exceeded 170 km/h (a record 172 km/h in Vilar de Canes). In Barcelona, a tragedy occurred – a woman died under the collapsed roof of an industrial warehouse. The Catalan authorities, responding to the threat, implemented unprecedented preventive measures: they closed schools, universities, and public facilities, and the ES-Alert system sent mass notifications to mobile phones, interrupting parliamentary proceedings. This decision, although criticized by some businesses as 'paralyzing,' was a response to a real threat to life.

Spain's transport infrastructure collapsed. Overturned trucks blocked the AP-7 highway, and the railway operator Renfe suspended key connections in the Mediterranean Corridor. In Andalusia, still struggling with the effects of earlier downpours, initial estimates put damage to road infrastructure at 535 million euros.

The atmospheric front then moved over Italy, where, as a cyclone (locally also referred to as Harry Bis), it caused floods in Calabria and Sicily. The overflowing of the Crati River led to the flooding of residential complexes. Simultaneously, in the Alps – on both the French and Italian sides – a series of tragic accidents occurred. Despite the declaration of the highest, fifth-level avalanche danger, tourists and skiers ignored the warnings. The toll was 11 fatalities within a week, including a group in Val d'Isère led by an instructor off-piste.

These events revealed the systemic inadequacy of European energy and flood defense infrastructure in the face of cyclical, violent low-pressure systems. Despite advanced warning systems (ES-Alert, Meteo-France color codes), material losses are enormous, and the fatalities result from both the force of nature and human recklessness.