The Government will meet this Sunday in an extraordinary Council of Ministers to review the state of calamity, the prevention measures for the coming days and the recovery of areas affected by the Kristin depression. The meeting will take place at the Prime Minister's official residence in São Bento, Lisbon, from 10:00, according to a statement released ...
Government convenes to review state of calamity and prevention and reconstruction measures
Sunday, 1 February 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.
