Valentine’s Day brought a rare sight. The return of the sun in Portugal which has endured weeks of relentless downpours. The storms have brought an estimated 10 inches to 15 inches of rain since January 1, nearly twice the normal amount.

The rains came at the worst possible time. The country was already reeling from the effects storm, Kristin, which ripped across a wide swath of central Portugal on January 28. The storm´s hurricane-force winds uprooted thousands of trees, blew off roofs and cut off electricity, internet communications and water to hundreds of thousands of residents.

The next storms, Leonardo and Marta, added insult to injury. Rivers burst their banks, flooding towns and cities, swamping roads and causing landslides. On Feb. 11, a major road artery near Coimbra, Portugal´s third largest city, collapsed. To date, there have been 16 storm-related deaths and more than 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Cleanup efforts underway

Crews have been out in force repairing storm damage but the work is far from over. Many rural areas remained without electricity and internet communications for more than two weeks after Kristin hit. A friend of mine who lives alone in a small village, was without power for more than 17 days. Fortunately, she had a wood-burning stove for heat and bottled gas for cooking. Friends whose power was restored more quickly, let her shower and charge her phone at their place.

Parks in the town of Tomar, central Portugal, where I live, were full of uprooted trees. City workers have been busy with chainsaws, and heavy equipment to remove them.

Although the weather forecast for the next few days looks rain-free, the rivers remain dangerously high. The normally placid Rio Nabão in Tomar, is a rushing torrent. Sandbags remain wedged against doorways along a canal that flanks the river. Elsewhere, the situation remains dire. Vast areas around Coimbra and further south, near the city of Santarem, are under water. There have been calls for Portugal to reevaluate its responses to climate change.

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