Haute-Garonne Begins Damage Assessment After Severe Storms

The prefecture of Haute-Garonne said on May 21 that it has begun formal steps to assess agricultural losses after a series of severe storms, including hail at the end of April and in early May, damaged farms across the department, with vineyards among the affected crops.

The state services said they are collecting damage reports so they can seek official recognition of losses of land and harvests from national agriculture risk commissions. Farmers in the department have been asked to fill out an online questionnaire as soon as possible. If the losses are recognized, the move would open the way to a dedicated aid program for affected producers.

The announcement comes as the department is already dealing with another weather-related compensation process. Losses tied to long periods of rain in January and February 2026 were recently recognized under France’s natural disaster system. Those damages, caused by rain and flooding between Jan. 7 and Feb. 19, were confirmed by a ministerial order dated April 28 after a favorable opinion from the national committee that manages agricultural risks.

According to the prefecture, the covered damage includes harm to soils, structures, outdoor stored fodder and vines. All municipalities in Haute-Garonne are included in that weather event, which officials said affected the entire department.

Farmers seeking compensation for those earlier losses must submit claims between May 11 and Sept. 30, 2026. Applications can be sent by mail to the departmental agriculture office in Toulouse. The prefecture said claim forms, annexes and instructions are available on the state services website, and farmers can contact the office by phone or email for more information.

The prefecture also reminded farmers that any work on a ditch or watercourse should first be checked against local rules, since some waterways are regulated while others are not. It said a map of watercourses is available for verification and that a guide has been published for those needing further details.