Municipalities of Madeira reinforce means and prepare accommodation

Vthe municipalities of Madeira are activating their respective municipal operational centres and preparing emergency accommodation to house any displaced persons following the passage of depression Charles through the island.

After the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and Santa Cruz, the cameras of Ponta do Sol and Porto Santo also announced the strengthening of the means of civil protection and the mobilization of resources, as well as the preparation of reception centers for possible displaced persons.

Madeira is under red warning, the most serious, issued by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) from 21:00 today and until Wednesday morning.

In a statement, the municipality of Ponta do Sol, in the western part of the southern part of the island of Madeira, indicated that, in the face of the expected adverse weather conditions, and “in the framework of the prevention and response device, an emergency reception centre was created at the former School of the Loin of São João, to meet any needs for the reception of the population”.

The municipality also said that it mobilized the municipal services of Civil Protection, Environment and Social Action, in conjunction with the PSP and the Joint Firefighters of Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol, having also been reinforced the operational device, to face the depression.

“ We are following this situation very carefully and we have our teams and municipal resources already mobilized to respond to any occurrence that may arise,” said the mayor, Rui Marques, quoted in the note.

The mayor also left “a word of tranquility to the population, but also an appeal to everyone’s responsibility”.

“ We are doing what is up to us, anticipating scenarios and preparing the necessary means, but it is essential that each person adopt preventive behaviors”, he added.

The mayor of Ponta do Sol also pointed out that “at this time, the best way to protect themselves is to stay at home, avoid unnecessary movements and respect all indications of the authorities”.

According to Rui Marques, in recent days the work of cleaning and checking the critical points of the municipality was reinforced, with special attention to the caleiras, levadas and water flow zones.

For its part, the municipality of the island of Porto Santo has also prepared to face the consequences of the storm, namely to respond to the need to house any displaced persons in the Garrison Regiment No 3 (RG3).

In a press release, the mayor of that municipality, Nuno Batista, stated that the weather warning issued is “severe and should be taken very seriously”, stressing that Porto Santo “is not immune to extreme weather phenomena”, which cannot be devalued.

The mayor called on residents and visitors to stay at home, avoid unnecessary movements and avoid passing through coastal and exposed areas, calling for “in a territory with the characteristics of Porto Santo, institutional cooperation, unity of efforts and joint response capacity to be of even greater importance”.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (I) placed the southern coast of Madeira under red warning of precipitation between 21:00 today and 06:00 Wednesday (11 November), due to the forecast of heavy and persistent rain.

There is also an orange wind warning on the south coast between 9:00 p.m. today and 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, with gusts up to 100 km/h.