Heavy rains caused damages of at least €175 million in Lisbon, Portalegre, and Faro districts, according to the final and provisional calculations made by 21 municipalities.
Between 7 and 14 December, several districts in mainland Portugal suffered flooding in homes and on public roads, as well as landslides and falling trees, as a result of bad weather. In many places, this led to the temporary closure of many roads, constraints on public transport and business establishments shutting their doors due to damage.
A few days earlier, the heavy rains that fell in the Algarve on 5 December, causing flooding in various areas, had caused more than €2 million in damage in the city of Faro, according to Rogério Bacalhau, the mayor of that municipality, which was the one most affected by the rains in the region, in comments to Lusa at Christmas time.
According to Bacalhau, damage to municipal infrastructures – the city hall building, schools, library, the municipal market, public spaces and municipal swimming pools – resulted in between €900,000 and €1 million worth of damages. Similar losses were sustained by shopkeepers in São Luís, the part of the town that was worst affected, and there was also private damage, including to vehicles, of €200,000,
Between 7 and 15 December, civil defence officials registered more than 7,950 occurrences in mainland Portugal – mostly flooding – and 88 people in need of rehousing.
Government officials have visited some affected places and have asked for surveys of the damage by 15 January at the latest to streamline the mechanisms for the support that has been repeatedly requested by local authorities, with special funds to help families and businesses.
Among the cities whose surveys are already known, Lisbon reported total losses of €49 million, the highest single figure.
On Thursday, the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, explained that €34 million or 70% of the total corresponds to damage to equipment and public infrastructure and the rest, €15 million, to damage to economic activities, trade and services, and private homes.
Of this latter amount, €3.8 million were in housing and €11.2 million in business.
(Rosa Carreiro | Lusa.pt)
Source: euractiv.com
