Madeira signaled 210 occurrences until 09:00

O Regional Civil Protection Service of Madeira (SRPC) registered 210 occurrences until 09:00 today, following the passage of depression Charles, with main incidence in the municipalities of Funchal, Santa Cruz and Machico.

At a press conference in Funchal, the president of the SRPC, Richard Marques, indicated that, of these occurrences, signaled between 20:00 on Tuesday and about 09:00 today, “60% occurred in the municipalities of Funchal, Santa Cruz and Machico”.

Accompanied by the president of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, the civil protection officer pointed out that, among the most relevant occurrences, there is “a widespread flood” in the municipality of Machico, which is not calling into question housing, but required a strengthening of means to restore normality.

In the municipality of Santa Cruz, there are some situations at the same time that are also motivating a strengthening of means by the SRPC to support municipal services, he added.

Another of the most relevant occurrences was the rescue of a man, with life, in the parish of São Roque, in Funchal, who was dragged following a river that he climbed.

The president of the Madeiran executive also said that in the parish of Serra de Água, municipality of Ribeira Brava, a flood caused damage in two houses, with a family being relocated.

“ All situations are either resolved or in resolution, and soon we will have regained all normalcy in people’s lives,” said the president of the Regional Civil Protection Service.

The main occurrences were floods, mass movements and falls of trees, having been “resolved at the municipal level”.

Richard Marques also said that the population support telephone line, created on Tuesday, has received more than 200 calls and will be in operation by the end of today.

The president of the Madeiran executive, Miguel Albuquerque, thanked the population and all the agents involved in the operations for the work on a night that he classified as difficult.

The governor also pointed out that “the infrastructure of the region held well,” highlighting that 479 liters per square metre of water were recorded in 12 hours, higher than what happened in the alluvial of February 20, 2010.

Despite the degravation of adverse weather conditions, Albuquerque warned that the “land is very saturated”, and it is recommended that the population avoid areas where it usually occurs.

Madeira began to be affected by the storm at 21:00 on Tuesday, leading the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) to put the whole island under red warning, the highest level because of the heavy rain and wind until 06:00 today.

The warning then passed the orange, with forecast bursts in the order of 130 kilometers in the highest zones until 12:00.

Due to adverse weather conditions, the Madeira Regional Government has determined the closure of school establishments and non-essential services by 1 p.m.

Closed are also the pedestrian routes, museums, gardens and farms, and three cruise ships were cancelled and the voyages of the ship Lobo Marinho between the Madeira and Porto Santo islands.

The movement at Madeira International Airport is conditioned, there are about two dozen flights, from arrivals and departures, cancelled, according to ANA’s website – Aeroportos de Portugal consulted at 09:00.