Portugal: Unprecedented rains paralyze Lisbon – 12/13/2022 – The World

Precipitation record in the metropolitan area Lisbon Traces of destruction and problems were left on Tuesday (13), as streets and cars were flooded by the force of water, roads were closed, and train and metro lines were cut off.

Early in the morning, it was Metropolitan Mayor Carlos MoedasLisbon residents were asked to avoid leaving their homes throughout the day. Civil protection for Portugal issued a similar alert, which extended to other regions of the country where there was heavy rainfall.

Although almost the entire Portuguese region is on alert, the Lisbon region has concentrated the largest number of documented incidents.

“We have many areas of the city that are in a state of disaster,” said Moedas. As a result of trading restrictions, many schools and universities have canceled classes, and businesses have closed down or allowed employees to work from home.

IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Seas and Atmospheric) data has been released to Expresso newspaper She points out that never in the historical series has it rained so much in Lisbon in a 24-hour period.

In the early afternoon, important roads remained sporadic or had limited traffic. Heavy rain in the morning continued all day, the forecast is that the rainy weather will continue.

This is the second time in less than a week that heavy rains have wreaked havoc in the country. Last Thursday (8), another storm already caused damage, after it also coincided with the rise of the Tagus River. In the municipality of Alges, in greater Lisbon, one person has died.

Although there is no record of deaths yet, the physical damage is piling up. Flooding caused damage to homes and businesses in several parts of the country.

In Lisbon, the Alcântara neighborhood was one of the hardest hit. There, he blew up A Coxinharia for the second time in a week. a Brazilian businessman Glauco Junqueira, who was still counting the damage from the first flood, is now working to clean up the place and try to ensure operations are back, albeit in precarious conditions.

“The feeling of powerlessness is first to come to the fore, followed by massive frustration and rebellion. And, of course, uncertainty. There are obvious losses, not just in revenue: equipment, goods, property damage,” he says.

Keisy Lyra of Santa Catarina, owner of an aesthetics studio in Cais Sodré, center, is facing losses. Although the waters did not damage the facilities, they had to cancel their entire schedule for the day, as circulation in the city was impossible.

In addition to the financial loss, Lyra says she also fears for her safety. In the previous storm, she had seen her car surrounded by water on the way home. “I thought it was just a downpour, but it’s normal. I had no idea it was going to take the percentage it was. I was terrified.”

One of the experts’ biggest criticisms was the lack of communication by the authorities. This week, the Civil Protection sent text messages warning of heavy rain, in Portuguese and English, to residents. The Mayor of Lisbon says that although the city has been having problems with flooding for several years, the increase in the frequency of spells is related to the climate crisis🇧🇷 “We have to prepare for structural changes in the city,” said Moedas.

Urban planning experts are asking the Portuguese capital to take projects to improve stormwater drainage capacity off the drawing board. The predictions of the city council, the equivalent of the city hall, are that construction work on new drainage tunnels will begin in March 2023.