Floods in Portugal: Lisbon's mayor speaks of "chaotic" conditions
Created: 2022-12-13, 9:55 p.m
By: Mark Stoffers
Many streets and apartments were full after heavy rains in and around Lisbon.
These are not the first floods in the region.
© Paulo Mumia / dpa
In Lisbon, streets, underpasses and basements were full of renewed heavy rains.
Floods hit parts of Portugal.
LISBON - Heavy rains have caused flooding in parts of Portugal.
The region around Lisbon and the capital itself is particularly affected.
The images from the streets of Lisbon made it clear how precarious the situation was.
The city administration therefore declared a red alert and urged commuters and residents not to leave their homes.
The extent of the flooding is also reflected in the fact that various apartments were flooded, streets in the capital had to be closed and countless tunnels and underpasses were flooded.
In the region, the occupants of a vehicle got caught in a landslide on the highway.
According to the Portuguese broadcaster Radiotelevisao Portuguesa (RTP), they were taken to a hospital for further care.
Floods in Portugal: the mayor of Lisbon speaks of "chaotic" conditions
The circumstances of the floods in Portugal prompted Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas to speak of the sometimes "chaotic" situation due to the flooding, as reported by the Lusa news agency.
Meanwhile, it was not the first heavy rainfall in the region.
There had already been floods in Portugal and mainly in the region in and around Lisbon last week.
"We've never seen it happen so quickly," the mayor of Lisbon continued.
In addition, Moedas stated that no casualties have been reported so far.
However, rescue workers had to evacuate some residents from their homes.
Moedas stressed that no casualties have been reported so far, but that some people have had to be rescued from their homes.
A supermarket was evacuated near the Tagus River, and 16 people were rescued from houses in the Alcantara district, the AFP news agency reported.
Civil protection commander André Fernandes spoke of a "complicated" situation.
Floods in Portugal: Heavy rains last week – one dead
There had already been severe flooding in Portugal last week, and a 50-year-old woman died in a basement.
Devastating floods also occurred in Turkey.
And relaxation is not yet in sight.
Because the weather services have also announced further heavy rainfall for Wednesday (December 14).
So there can be no question of relaxation in the current situation.
Due to the heavy rainfall, the danger of further landslides not only remains, but increases in the region around the capital.
No relaxation in sight: floods in Portugal and also in Spain
In addition to the floods in Portugal, the situation in parts of Spain was no different.
In neighboring Spain, the roads were flooded, especially in the Andalusia region.
Aside from the floods in Portugal, Spain and Turkey, Italy has also been hit by floods several times this year.
The most devastating accident happened after heavy storms in Italy on the island of Ischia, while there was a small miracle during floods in Little.
The heavy rains follow months of drought in Portugal and Spain, which many experts attribute to climate change and say such extreme weather events could become more frequent.
