The Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) has approved 390 applications for the extraordinary job maintenance fund, created in response to the impact of bad weather, totalling over 11 million euros, it was announced on Friday, March 6. “The IEFP has already approved 390 applications for the extraordinary incentive for job maintenance and for self-employed workers, created by the Government in response to the calamity caused by storm Kristin,” it announced in a statement. These applications cover 3,840 workers, amounting to 11,238,264 euros. The municipalities most affected by storm Kristin, located in the Central region, account for 81.5% of the applications. The sectors most covered by the support are the manufacturing industry (25%) and wholesale and retail trade (20%). At least 19 people have died in Portugal since January 28 due to the passage of storms Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta, which also caused several hundred injuries, displacements, and evacuations. More than half of the deaths were recorded during recovery efforts. The storms, which affected the mainland for about three weeks, caused total or partial destruction of thousands of homes, businesses, and infrastructure, downed trees and structures, power, water, and communication outages, flooding, and damage amounting to billions of euros. The Central, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, and Alentejo regions were the most affected.