The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, expressed this Saturday “solidarity” for death of a woman in the Algarvehighlighting that those who lose their lives in extreme meteorological phenomena “are usually the most defenseless”. “They are older, they are poorer, they are less able to protect themselves, to prevent themselves, and hence my word of solidarity”, stated Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, adding that he “regrets and follows the suffering” of the affected families.
Asked whether the country is prepared to face more storms of this type, Marcelo refused to comment, referring the assessment to Civil Protection and the Government. Even so, he acknowledged that this depression “ended up exceeding in its incidence” what was initially predicted, “affecting the respective affected areas more deeply and for a longer period of time.
The head of state also highlighted the behavior of the population in the most affected regions. “The Portuguese were very disciplined, very sensible“, he stated, highlighting that many Lisbon residents chose to stay at home, reducing circulation and avoiding aggravating risks. He even noted that traffic in Greater Lisbon was much lower than usual, which, in his opinion, helped to limit potential damage and victims.
The fatal victim of Saturday’s extreme conditions was an 85-year-old British woman, who lost her life at the Albufeira campsite, hit by a tornado confirmed by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere – IPMA. In addition to the death, five people were injured at the scene, and a tourist resort in the municipality recorded another 23 minor injuries. In total, Albufeira recorded 28 injuries, including two seriously injured, aged between 6 and 85 years.
According to the Algarve Civil Protection, the region has recorded 412 incidents since the activation of the state of readiness due to the Cláudia depressionmobilizing almost a thousand operatives. The most serious situations were concentrated in Faro, Albufeira, Lagoa and Silves.