Lisbon has told Brussels the bill may be too big to carry alone. The Portuguese government acknowledged that Storm Kristin, which hit the central region mainly on January 28 and 29, did extremely severe damage, and said money from the European Union Solidarity Fund may be needed to rebuild.
At least five people died. Hurricane-force winds of between 150 and 200 km/h arrived with heavy rain and strong waves along the coast. IPMA, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere, classed the storm as a rare event, comparable to those of 2009 and 2018.
Local media said the dead were killed by falling trees and infrastructure, and by flooding.
Where it hit
Leiria, Coimbra, Santarem and Lisbon were the districts hit hardest, and at least 60 municipalities reported damage. More than 3000 incidents were logged nationwide, with debris blocking roads and numerous buildings damaged. Flooding, downed trees and landslides closed roads and rail lines. At first, as many as 850,000 homes were without electricity.
In the Leiria area, hospitals needed generators. A rain alert stayed in force until Monday, February 2.
Funding and the official response
The government put the most critical areas under a state of emergency, from 00:00 on January 28 until 23:59 on February 1. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro visited Leiria on Thursday. He said Portugal was talking with the European Commission to settle “the best form of funding” for affected families and businesses.
Pope Leo XIV also sent condolences, in a message signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State. He expressed closeness to the families of the dead, the injured and the displaced, and offered prayers for the authorities and the civil, military and religious institutions helping out. He thanked Church organizations and what he called “the spontaneous solidarity of every citizen,” Vatican News reported.
