One person dead, dozens injured after tornado ripped through the Hotel Eden Resort and nearby HolaCamp campsite in Albufeira last Saturday morning, while a second violent wind event caused further destruction in Lagoa and Silves.
The Algarve was hit last weekend by a destructive bout of bad weather, the likes of which the region had not seen in over a decade.
After several days of rain and strong winds brought on by Storm Claudia, the wild weather reached its peak in the Algarve on Saturday morning, when two cases of “extreme winds” battered the municipalities of Albufeira and Lagoa.
The first – already confirmed as a tornado with winds over 220 kilometres per hour by the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) – ripped through Albufeira, particularly the Eden Resort and nearby HolaCamp Albufeira campsite.
Tragically, the freak weather claimed one life – an 85-year-old British woman who lived at the campsite with her husband in a bungalow was found dead under the rubble – while dozens of others were injured. Six had to be taken to Faro Hospital, though only one still remained hospitalised at the time The Resident went to print.
Witnesses at the hotel and campsite later told journalists about how fast and destructive the tornado had been. “It was a gust that came into the restaurant, shot down the hotel corridor, and swept everything into the air. We had to hold on to the children,” a Spanish tourist staying at Eden Resort told Público newspaper.
Daniel Gama, general manager of Eden Resort, confirmed the “absolutely chaotic” nature of the incident. “There were people flying inside the restaurant due to the wind,” he told reporters, praising the “heroic” acts of his staff and other guests who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the children who were inside the restaurant when the tornado hit. Somewhere between 60 and 70 guests decided to return home after the incident as the hotel scrambles to evaluate the damage.
Later that day, Albufeira mayor Rui Cristina described the scene as “chaotic, almost like a war zone.”
Speaking at a press conference held at the town hall on Saturday afternoon, Rui Cristina offered his “heartfelt condolences” to the friends, family, and close community of the victim, and wished a “swift recovery to all those injured”, vowing to support anyone who needed to be rehomed and announcing that municipal services were already working on cleaning local roads and removing debris.
The mayor also highlighted the importance of the rapid, coordinated response by local and regional emergency services, singling out the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command – specifically Commander Vítor Vaz Pinto – along with INEM, firefighters, GNR, and the Local Health Unit.
Meanwhile, the HolaCamp campsite has set up a dedicated information line for affected family members and guests. According to information sent to newsrooms, the telephone number provided is +351 289 587 630 and the email address is geral@campingalbufeira.net
“The campsite remains open and has not been closed at any time. Only the affected area – approximately 500m² – has been cordoned off. HolaCamp Albufeira has a total area of 27 hectares, so the rest of the facilities continue to operate normally,” a source from the campsite told The Resident.
Lagoa affected by extreme winds
But the damage was not limited to Albufeira. Lagoa was also hit by an “extreme wind phenomenon” which, despite not being officially deemed a tornado, saw winds of over 180km/h devastating parts of the municipality. No one was hurt but many structures were damaged or destroyed by the destructive force of the winds. Parts of Silves were also affected, damaging properties and forcing the relocation of two people.
Emergency officials revealed that these two extreme weather incidents hit at the peak of a days-long onslaught that had already put the Algarve under several weather warnings.
Between midnight on Wednesday, November 12 and 2pm on Monday, November 17, the region was battered by bad weather that triggered 603 emergency callouts, forcing the dispatch of more than 1,700 responders and over 600 vehicles into action, according to data from the Algarve’s Civil Protection Authority.
Most of the reported incidents involved fallen trees (215) and floods (197). Before Saturday, Faro had been the most affected municipality, with heavy rain causing multiple floods and strong winds toppling structures and trees on Friday morning.
The Albufeira tornado and Lagoa “extreme wind phenomenon” happened almost exactly 13 years after an even larger tornado hit the municipalities of Lagoa and Silves on November 16, 2012, leaving behind a path of destruction due to its 270km/h winds. Several people were injured, including a woman who later died, and significant damage was caused.
Also read: Elderly couple die as home floods near Lisbon
