Latest news and stories about disaster relief in Portugal for expats and residents.
The European Union has proposed a 489 million euro aid package to assist countries affected by severe storms and floods earlier this year. Portugal is set to receive 261 million euros from this fund to support recovery efforts in the most impacted communities.
The Intermunicipal Community of Beira Baixa has approved 57.34 million euros to support recovery efforts following Storm Kristin. The region registered over 2,200 applications for aid, totaling 74.33 million euros in identified damages. Local authorities are prioritizing the validation of remaining applications to ensure support reaches affected businesses and residents quickly.
The PSD delegation in the European Parliament has formally asked the European Commission which existing and potential instruments it can activate to assist areas of Portugal hit by Storm Kristin. PSD MEPs warned that material damage may be 'incalculable' and that conditions on the ground are worse than international reports indicate; President von der Leyen has pledged swift assistance. The delegation urged the Portuguese Government to be present in affected areas — to repair, care and listen — and called for a planned, not improvised, State response to the emergency.
Funds from the EU Solidarity Fund to cover damages exceeding 5 billion euros. Final approval still depends on the EU Council and the EP plenary.
An order signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, José Manuel Fernandes, was published this Thursday in the Diário da República.
The Ombudsman identified a relevant set of constraints in the support created following Storm Kristin, but also good practices in the response to the population, recommending the implementation of a regime and fund for natural and seismic disasters. According to the report 'Storm Kristin — Assessment of support for housing reconstruction', released this Wednesday, ...
The law allows for short-term loans without the need for authorization from the respective municipal assemblies in exceptional situations.
Six months after Storm Kristin hit Portugal, reconstruction works have not yet started and the promised financial aid is being treated as a debt by the recipients.
Rescue operations are entering a critical phase. Commander Jorge Mendes explains how team exhaustion, difficult access, and infrastructure damage are hindering the search efforts.
PRESS REVIEW | There are more than 14,000 applications yet to be completed
Three months after the storm, almost nothing has been done to support the Portuguese people.
The deadline for submitting applications for support to rebuild primary and permanent residences affected by the bad weather that hit Portugal in January and February ends this Tuesday, the 7th. The deadline was set in an order by the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, published in the Diário da República on March 30th. In statements made at the end of that month, the minister committed to concluding the financial support processes for homes affected by Storm Kristin by June 30th. While aiming to accelerate the process, he acknowledged that funds are taking time to arrive. Of the 30,000 applications submitted two months after Storm Kristin, only 3,200 cases had been decided—just over 10%—with four million euros paid out. Castro Almeida noted that 250 million euros are available through the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions for the Centre and Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions. At least 19 people died following the passage of storms Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta in late January and early February, with hundreds more injured or displaced. The storms caused widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, resulting in billions of euros in damages, with the Centre, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, and Alentejo regions being the most affected.
The Portuguese government announced in Pombal that it intends to finalise financial support for homes damaged by Storm Kristin by June 30, admitting that the process is significantly behind schedule. Minister Manuel Castro de Almeida noted that only 3,200 of 30,000 applications have been processed, with only four million euros paid out of 250 million available. To accelerate the process, over 750 technicians are being deployed to assist municipalities with damage assessments. Additionally, the government plans to provide advance payments to local councils and is working with the European Commission to ensure that Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funding remains secure despite project delays caused by the storm.
The European Union Solidarity Fund provides rapid and flexible financial assistance of up to one billion euros annually to member states affected by major natural disasters.
Leiria, rather than being the target of a recovery, is being the stage for retaliation by a noisy opponent of the Government who thought Leiria was the appropriate setting.
Anselmo Crespo reflects on the scale of the damage caused by Storm Kristin after witnessing the destruction in Leiria, one of the districts most affected by the storm. The CNN Portugal commentator says the whole region is “in a hole so deep that no one can see the light at the end of the tunnel”. Therefore, more than financial aid — which he criticises for being late — communities “need people to help them rebuild their homes and their businesses”.
Around 1,200 Army personnel and 222 vehicles are on the ground conducting operations to support the population of the Centro region. For the municipality of Leiria alone, three platoons have been deployed.
The head of the task force set up to respond to the effects of Storm Kristin said today that the platform to request support for the rebuilding of affected homes is expected to be available online between today and Wednesday.
Marco Serronha, a military specialist at CNN Portugal, analyses the role of the armed forces on the ground after the destruction caused by Storm Kristin, noting that, more than a week on, there are still villages without communications and that the Army and the Red Cross have been bringing the Starlink system to the most isolated areas. “Organisations that provide aid cannot be without communications from day one; they must have autonomy, they must have capabilities, and the only thing that survives in this is the satellite — there is no other alternative,” Marco Serronha says.
The mayor of Proença-a-Nova today acknowledged losses of €20 million and told the Lusa news agency that the priority is to restore power, while the municipality distributes food to people and animals.
Around 170 billboard tarpaulins that were put up during the election campaign will be used to help mitigate the damage caused by Storm Kristin.
The cyclonic winds and torrential rain exposed many of the country's structural weaknesses and raised questions: do we have the capacity to rebuild what was destroyed? And where is the workforce?
Ricardo Paiágua was one of the creators of the Tempestade SOS platform to help people who were affected by the storm in the centre of the country. 'We do not accept money; the only thing we do is match people who want to help with those who need help,' he explains.
Construction companies from Leiria say there is no capacity to respond to all requests to rebuild damaged homes, due to a lack of labour and a shortage of materials that already existed before the storms of the last few days and have now only worsened further. It is in this context that the president of ...
To support farmers in the disaster zones, a call for applications with €40 million to restore productive potential will be opened, the Minister of Agriculture told ECO. This support is in addition to the €10,000 that will be granted through a simplified procedure, as happened after the wildfires. “We will have a call for applications for the restoration of the ...”
The government will formally seek assistance through the EU Solidarity Mechanism.
Home News Government announces 14 support measures following Storm Kristin Government announces 14 support measures following Storm Kristin The government has approved a package of 14 support measures to respond to the damage caused by Storm Kristin, with a financial impact that could reach €2.
By 19:30 the parish hall was almost full of food, clothing, blankets, tarpaulins and roof tiles.
