Portugal’s Civil Protection authority has urged people living along the banks of the Tejo River to leave their homes and move to safe locations, warning of a rapid and dangerous rise in water levels.
The alert was issued by the national commander of Civil Protection, Mário Silvestre, who said forecasts point to an intense and fast increase in river flow, driven by a combination of heavy rainfall and major water releases from Spanish dams upstream.
Speaking at a press conference at the headquarters of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) in Carnaxide, Oeiras, Silvestre said the current situation is the worst it has been in nearly three decades.
“Since around 1997, we have not had an episode like this in the Tejo basin and in the Tejo River,” he said. “This means extra care is required from riverside populations who are used to this phenomenon”.
According to Civil Protection, the surge is being caused by very high discharges from the Alcántara and Cedillo dams in Spain, currently releasing around 7,000 cubic metres of water per second into the Tejo. Combined with inflows from Portuguese river basins, total flows could reach around 9,000 cubic metres per second.
To avoid any more tragedies, authorities are urging people to take zero chances.
“What we recommend to everyone is that, as a preventive measure, they remove belongings from their homes, put themselves in safety and leave their houses – in other words, go to safe places whenever possible,” Silvestre said. “Safe behaviour at this moment is critical so that we can get through this episode without having victims to mourn.”
Civil Protection warned that the expected impacts include flooding in urban areas, river overflows and landslides, as well as slippery roads and the formation of large sheets of standing water.
“If you are driving, do not cross flooded roads. It is critical that you do not do this,” Silvestre said. “Thirty centimetres of water is enough for most vehicles to stop due to water intake, and that immediately puts people at risk.”
Residents are urged to stay away from electrical equipment, keep children away from overflowing water bodies, protect their animals by moving them to safe places and refrain from taking photos or filming rising water levels, especially near dams releasing water.
Finally, during evacuations, residents should take only essential items. “And by essential, we mean things like medication”.
