Government declares a state of calamity. What changes from now on?

Thursday, 29 January 2026RSS
Government declares a state of calamity. What changes from now on?

The first request came from Leiria on Wednesday. The Council of Ministers decided on Thursday to declare a state of calamity for the areas most affected by Storm Kristin.

Context & Explainers

A state of calamity (situação de calamidade) is the highest level of civil emergency Portugal can declare under its Civil Protection framework, short of a constitutional state of emergency. It is typically declared by the government in response to severe natural disasters such as major wildfires, floods, or storms.

A calamity declaration activates the National Civil Protection Emergency Plan, mobilizes additional resources, and grants authorities expanded powers to restrict movement, requisition private property, and deploy military assets. It also unlocks emergency financial support for affected populations and municipalities.

Portugal uses a three-tier alert system: alerta (alert), contingência (contingency), and calamidade (calamity), each with escalating levels of coordination and authority. The state of calamity requires coordination between the national government, ANEPC, local authorities, and emergency services.

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