Bad weather has caused flooding and fallen trees across the Algarve, particularly affecting the Faro area in recent hours, though no injuries have been reported in the region, a source from the regional Civil Protection authority told journalists.
According to the same source, the Faro district began to feel the worst impact of the severe weather around midday, Thursday 13 November, with heavy rain and strong winds leading to flooding in public spaces and the toppling of trees. However, the total number of incidents has not yet been confirmed.
After a morning in which the western Algarve was worst hit, Storm Claudia moved eastwards towards the more municipalities bordering Spain. Emergency teams have since been receiving calls mainly concerning “flooded streets and fallen trees”, but so far, there have been no reports of casualties in Faro.
“Faro City is currently the most affected area [in the Algarve], with flooding in streets that always tend to go under when there’s heavy rainfall, especially in the lower part of the city,” the source said.
Asked about the number of local incidents recorded, the same source said figures were still being compiled.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) placed the Algarve under a red weather warning until 3 p.m., due to forecasts of persistent, at times heavy, rainfall. Local downpours reached as much as 40 mm per hour, according to officials from the institute.
Tragedy struck in Fernão Ferro, located in the Lisbon metropolitan area, where an elderly couple died after their home was flooded, Both victims were 88 years old. The heavy rain caused a rapid rise in water levels, which “flooded the residence and prevented their escape,” a GNR source said.
Officers entered the house with the help of firefighters and found the couple already deceased. Attempts at basic life support were made, “but it was not possible to reverse the situation,” the same source told press
In just the past four hours, almost 800 incidents have been reported nationally, according to Civil Protection. More than 3,000 emergency personnel have been deployed across the country.
The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) said that the effects of Storm Cláudia are expected to continue until Sunday, based on IPMA forecasts.
In a briefing held this morning at ANEPC headquarters, Civil Protection reported that the country has been on alert level 2 since Wednesday (the 12th) at 2 p.m. So far, 1,292 incidents have been recorded, 784 of them in the past four hours alone, involving a total of 3,653 emergency workers.
Elsewhere, five people have been displaced in the Médio Tejo region, and four more in Lezíria do Tejo. In Serpa, in the Alto Alentejo, one person was injured after being struck by a falling tree.
Moreover, Moita City Council, in the district of Setúbal, has decided to close several schools due to the severe weather currently affecting the region.
“Given the extreme meteorological conditions and for safety reasons, the following schools will remain closed this morning: D. João I, Primary School No. 5 in Baixa da Banheira, Alhos Vedros Primary and Secondary School, D. Pedro II, Moita Secondary School, Rosário Primary School, and Brejos da Moita,” the council announced in a statement posted on social media.
The municipality also said that “due to the adverse weather conditions, Moita’s municipal swimming pool is not fit to open and will therefore remain closed throughout the day.”
