Storm Christine Batters Portugal; Government Allocates €2.5 Billion for Post-Disaster Recovery | WPN World People News

Winter storm Kristin swept across central and northern Portugal on the night of January 27, triggering flooding, landslides, and severe damage to infrastructure, with at least five deaths confirmed so far. On February 1, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced that the government will allocate €2.5 billion (about US$2.9 billion) for post-disaster recovery efforts, including a 90-day suspension of mortgage and loan repayments for affected residents. In addition, €400 million will be invested to repair damaged roads and railways to ensure the transport network is restored as quickly as possible.

As more heavy rainfall is forecast, Montenegro said after an emergency cabinet meeting that the government will extend the “state of disaster”—one level below a state of emergency—in the hardest-hit areas until February 8. The measure, which took effect on January 29, grants authorities expanded powers to enforce safety measures and coordinate emergency responses. The prime minister warned that evacuations may be necessary in some areas, as “the soil is already saturated.” Portugal’s Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has placed the entire country under alert until February 2, forecasting continued heavy rain and strong winds with gusts of up to 100 kilometers per hour.

Portugal’s civil protection chief André Fernandes Silvestre said the weather outlook is “extremely severe,” noting that the ground can no longer absorb additional rainfall and that the risk of flooding is imminent. Civil protection authorities have sent SMS alerts to residents in multiple regions nationwide, warning of flood threats. According to data from power grid operator E-Redes, around 167,000 households were still without electricity as of February 1—down significantly from more than one million immediately after the storm—but recovery efforts remain ongoing as the government continues to focus on reconstruction and disaster prevention.