Latest news and stories about infrastructure damage in Portugal for expats and residents.
A series of storms has wreaked havoc across Portugal, leading to extensive damage to infrastructure and impacting local communities. The severe weather has prompted emergency services to respond to the crisis, highlighting concerns over public safety and the resilience of affected areas.
CMTV visited the village of Carvoeiro, in the municipality of Mação, where the service supply remains uncertain to this day.
The bridge near São Romão do Sado has become impassable, forcing longer detours for those travelling within the municipality, as well as for those needing to reach other destinations.
The value refers to damages verified in municipal infrastructure and housing.
The president of the Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of the Leiria region stated this Tuesday, March 24, that the territory, severely affected by bad weather for nearly two months, is in urgent need of support that has yet to arrive. Jorge Vala noted that while the Minister of Economy promised news on funding by the end of the month, no guarantees have been provided. The region continues to struggle with the aftermath of the storms Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta, which caused widespread destruction, casualties, and significant infrastructure damage across central Portugal.
The damages caused by the bad weather in Alcácer do Sal have already reached 107 million euros, with the majority, around 80 million, relating to municipal equipment, revealed the deputy mayor, António Grilo, today.
Of the total amount, 12.5 million euros in losses have been accounted for so far in commerce and services, while damage to state infrastructure is estimated to be around 10 million euros.
Recent storms affected approximately 280,000 mobile network users in Portugal, with over 99% of issues now resolved, according to the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz. While mobile services have largely been restored, fixed-line recovery is expected to take longer due to the severity of the damage. The storms also caused over 336 road closures, with 90% now cleared, and significant rail disruptions, such as the Beira Baixa line, which faces a six-month closure. Additionally, ministers have acknowledged that some Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) projects will be delayed or excluded due to the storm damage, with alternative funding solutions being sought to ensure completion.
Municipal and rural roads that remain submerged are among the most affected. The value calculated by the local authority does not include agricultural damage or damage to private homes.
The impact was felt in the school network, the castle, and even the stadium.
Half of the damage is to roads and thoroughfares, including embankments, followed by approximately 11 million euros in municipal equipment.
The Tábua City Council has declared losses of over 2.8 million euros resulting from the damage caused by the severe weather that hit the country starting at the end of January, its mayor revealed today.
The article reports that the municipality of Porto de Mós in Portugal has suffered estimated damages of €12.8 million due to recent severe weather events. These damages primarily affect public infrastructure, including roads and landslides, with some compensation expected from insurance and government sources. The total impact includes €11.5 million in municipal damages and €1.1 million related to associations and cultural heritage. The recent storms, part of a series of depressions, have caused at least 19 fatalities across Portugal, along with widespread destruction, injuries, and displacement, particularly impacting the Central, Lisbon, and Alentejo regions.
The President of CIMAC highlighted that the severe weather caused damage “to many infrastructures, particularly municipal ones, such as schools, roads, and health centres”, and that appropriate support has already been requested.
Carlos Moedas stated that “more than 50%” of the provisional damages recorded are related to infrastructure, with also losses in school equipment.
From Ponte das Mestras, Leiria, journalist Pedro Ramos Bichardo reports on the damage caused by the rain in recent hours.
Heavy rain and releases from dams have once again flooded the town centre of Alcácer do Sal, turning the main avenue into a canal.
The mayor says almost all public infrastructure in the region has been damaged and that 95% of the housing stock has been affected. With recovery already underway, he says 60% of the area now has electricity.
AIP and local business associations from Leiria, Coimbra and Santarém review the damage and economic effects on companies and regional infrastructure caused by Storm Kristin.
The most serious incident occurred at 03:05 on Rua Bernardo Lopes in Figueira da Foz, when a crane fell onto five buildings; there were no casualties.
A landslide occurred in the Campolide area of Lisbon in the early hours; further details are still emerging.
CNN Portugal reporter Pedro Ramos Bichardo is in Vale Serpa, where a crane fell onto a building following the passage of Depression Kristin. Resident Pedro Antunes describes what he felt that night.
In Pedrógão Grande the local council estimates that 80% of houses were affected by the storm. In Figueiró dos Vinhos the wake of destruction struck businesses, schools and what remained of the parkland.
In Leiria, Marinha Grande and Coimbra, residents are rolling up their sleeves in response to the damage caused by Storm Kristin's passage through the country.
Carlos Cardoso, mayor of Cinfães, says the municipality has suffered losses exceeding two million euros.
“It's truly upsetting. After a natural disaster, when people are already vulnerable and trying to survive, having to deal with that kind of behaviour is heartbreaking,” said councillor Eduardo Amaral.
There is no record of a weather event so destructive to the electricity network. More than 5,000 kilometres of medium-, high- and extra-high-voltage lines and hundreds of electricity poles were affected.
Municipalities in the Douro, in the district of Vila Real, are reporting substantial damage after heavy rain that is causing landslides, rockfalls and wall collapses, and affecting vineyards and roads.
Storm Kristin has left a trail of destruction from the north to the south of the country. There are areas completely flooded, uprooted trees and destroyed buildings. A state of calamity has been declared in 60 municipalities.
Leiria is finding it hard to respond to the destruction left by Storm Kristin; photos illustrate the extent of the damage.
