The municipality of Nazaré will ask the Government to declare a state of calamity in the municipality, following the heavy damage caused by the passage of depression Kristin in the early hours of Wednesday. According to Nazaré City Hall, in the district of Leiria, the incidents recorded "caused significant damage to public facilities and private property, ...
Nazaré also asks the Government to declare a state of calamity
Wednesday, 28 January 2026RSS
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.
