Storm Claudia caused a chaotic day in several parts of Portugal with heavy rain, gusty winds and strong waves at sea. From the early hours of this Thursday until late afternoon, authorities recorded at least two deaths, one injury, and more than 1,800 incidents related to the severe weather. The Setubal Peninsula, where the most serious incident occurred, received nearly 500 emergency calls.
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The most tragic episode occurred in Fernand Ferro, Seixal, where an elderly couple, both aged 88, drowned inside their home after the house they lived in quickly flooded. According to their families, the victims were sleeping when their home was flooded. Firefighters broke down the doors and windows but found the couple dead. A panic button was installed in case of an emergency, but the system never activated.
Heavy rain and winds simultaneously hit Setubal, Lisbon, Santarem and several other municipalities in the southern region. Residents of Seixal and Montijo said they had no recollection of a similar storm. Roads were flooded, commercial establishments were submerged and dozens of vehicles were trapped in flooded roads, including Estrada Nacional 378 between Seixal and Sesimbra, with firefighters trapped inside ambulances.
In Montijo, traders had been counting their losses and doing cleaning work since early morning. In one street alone, water took over the interiors of cafes, hair salons, and dance schools. Schools in the area were also temporarily closed as a precautionary measure due to the bad weather.
Electricity supplier E-REDES registered 20,000 customers without power throughout the day, mainly in the Lisbon, Santarem and Setubal areas, in the early morning hours. Replacement progressed gradually, and by Thursday evening the number of consumers without electricity had fallen to less than 300.
The extremely strong winds also left a mark on the country. In Niza, in the Portalegre district, an extremely violent phenomenon, described locally as a tornado, destroyed at least 10 houses in the village of Faragueira. Despite the damage, no one was evacuated thanks to the shelter provided by family members and neighbors. One person was slightly injured when a tree fell on a truck in Serpa, Alentejo state.
Problems also occurred in coastal areas. Strong waves have forced the closure of 16 sea areas between the north and the Algarve. In the Algarve, the storm flooded an underground park in Faro’s shopping center and caused flooding near the city’s hospital.
According to the National Agency for Emergencies and Civil Protection (ANEPC), a total of 1,111 cases of flooding, 311 fallen trees, 190 cases of street cleaning, 130 cases of collapsed structures and 121 cases of mass displacement were recorded between Wednesday and late Thursday afternoon. There were 5 land rescues and 6 water rescues. In the three municipalities of Abrantes, Pombal and Silves alone, four people were left homeless, and two others had to be temporarily evicted from their homes.
Authorities have issued red alerts for parts of the country as rain continues to fall into the weekend and winds could exceed 100km/h in mountainous areas and rough seas. Civil Protection has strengthened its advice to the public to avoid moving through wooded areas, flooded areas, marine activities and “unnecessary travel” during more volatile times.
The country remains under a state of alert as the Claudia Cyclone advances over the mainland and Madeira Island. Emergency teams continue to be called out, warning that weather conditions could worsen problems already recorded since the beginning of the week.
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