Severe weather in the Southwest. After the storm in Tonneins, businesses and the School of Arts are taking stock.

While attention focused on the TGV breakdown and the devastated surrounding area, the city center also experienced an apocalyptic evening.

They too have little eyes and insurance forms to fill out. In the area stretching from Gambetta and Joffre Streets to Clemenceau and des Vignes Streets, about ten businesses suffered an extraordinary storm the next day, which caused damage to a TGV train and extensive damage to residents living near the Caillou stream. All spent the evening coping to varying degrees. "The water seeped through the roof and flooded the parquet floor. We spent the evening mopping up by hand, and today we're sorting because there will be losses," says Valérie Kulton of the Indigo ready-to-wear boutique. "There are worse things, but we could have done without them."

Lek Dupouy, who runs the Asian restaurant, was at the heart of the wave. She even suffered a mild electrocution after walking on the wet floor due to faulty electricity. "I was jolted several times, but I managed to get to the circuit breaker." It was an incident that could have gone badly, but it didn't stop her from spending the night and morning cleaning up. "The ceiling crumbled, the parquet flooring warped, and I lost rice and packaging. I'll be closed for two days."

A 50 cm wave that submerged the premises at a crazy speed, forcing the employee to evacuate through the window.

At the Koegel Laffargue funeral home, fear prevailed, with a 50cm wave engulfing the premises at breakneck speed, forcing the employee to escape through a window. "This has been a recurring occurrence since the development of the crossroads and the public garden, but this time it was very intense," explains the owner.

Finally, the School of Arts is also expecting unpleasant consequences. "Our School Orchestra instruments are stored on the floor of a cellar at the cultural center. We were in a meeting, but we couldn't find the key to get them out, so we opened it this morning," says co-president Valérie Bottechia. "While the brass instruments aren't a problem, the woodwinds don't seem to have appreciated the humidity. We don't know how much it's going to cost us, but the insurer has been clear. It will only be reimbursed if a state of natural disaster is declared."