Carlos Gomez / X
House destroyed by depression Kristin
It is the generators that mitigate the effects of the storm that cut off power and communications. There are those who say that it is being more “impactful” than the “hell” of 2017.
The population of Pedrógão Grande remains without electricity and communications for the third consecutive day, and complains about the lack of support from public entities, especially in the parish of Graça, the most affected in the municipality by .
“Nobody tells us anything, neither from the Chamber nor from Civil Protection”, lamented Maria da Conceição to the Lusa agency, owner of a partially destroyed workshop, in the town of Outão, in the parish of Graça, district of Leiria. With a close eye on the work of removing the twisted sheet metal from the car workshop, this 68-year-old woman says that He has children in Lisbon and Leiria, and he doesn’t know “if they are well or not”.
“Civil Protection is very poor. Note that the City Council building itself does not have a generator inside”, pointed out Carlos Carvalho, from Mó Pequena, parish of Pedrógão Grande, regretting that no one provides information.
To contact the family, he had to go to Figueiró dos Vinhos, which also and only had communications since the end of Thursday.
“I know that the president of the Chamber is out there, but without means of communication nothing works”, emphasized Carlos Carvalho, who considered this passage of depression Kristin more “impactful” than the 2017 fireswho severely punished the municipality of Pedrógão Grande.
During a visit to the parish of Graça, the Lusa agency report found that the majority of homes were affected, with greater or lesser damage, and public facilities, such as the picnic area or the health center, were heavily affected.
Without electricity, it is the generators that mitigate the effects of the storm, as in the case of Tânia Francisco’s mother’s house, in Casal Ferreiros, which benefits from her grandfather’s equipment, which also powers her godfather’s house.
“O generator powers the three houses in turnso that the things in the chests don’t get damaged”, highlighted the young woman, who saw the cyclonic winds destroy the roof of the porch that covers the barbecue and the office.
The water returned to the taps this morning, after the supply failure on Wednesday, but communications are slow to return “and it’s horrible not knowing anything or anyone”.
In Marinha, also in the parish of Graça, Mário Paiva de Carvalho, 83 years old, did not hide his frustration at the enormous damage caused by bad weather to his workshop, his home and several outbuildings.
“I’m alone with my son doing what I can. I haven’t even been able to realize the losses I’ve suffered yet.”, said the octogenarian, sadly, in front of a large cork oak tree uprooted, which narrowly missed hitting a light truck.
With several generators at home, which had already “saved him from hell” from the flames of the 2017 fires, Mário Carvalho does not feel the problem of the lack of energy, but regretted that “no one from the public authorities]has yet appeared to say or ask anything”.
“Without a roof in the workshop, I cannot work and I will have to reject work”, he lamented.
In recent days, candlelight is what has helped Sandra Jacinto, 43 years old, resident of Atalaia Fundeira, who said it is not easy to live without electricity and communications.
“In my house I have a problem that gets worse because everything is electrical. To take a shower I have to go to my mother’s house and to cook I use a small gas stove, and I can’t turn on the heating.”
Further ahead, in Atalaia Cimeira, Manuel Inácio, 83 years old, tried to buy a generator “in two or three places”, but was unable to purchase any device and is worried about the products in the freezer being spoiled.
There, representatives of the entities that manage the territory have not yet appeared and the woman Maria Rosa do Carmo let it slip that the “Chamber doesn’t want to know” about them.
“I have a full chest and it’s going to ruin everything, it’s a misery”, complained the 82-year-old woman, who together with her husband regrets not being able to turn on the heating in the rooms.
The passage of Depression Kristin through mainland Portugal on Wednesday left a trail of destruction, causing at least five deadAccording to Civil Protection, several were injured and displaced. The Câmara da Marinha Grande counts yet another fatality in the municipality.
Falling trees and structures, cutting or conditioning of roads and transport services, especially railway lines, closing schools and power, water and communications cuts were the main material consequences of the storm.
Leiria, where the depression entered the territory, Coimbra and Santarém are the districts that recorded the most damage. The Government declared a state of calamity between 00:00 on Wednesday and 23:59 on February 1st for around 60 municipalities, a number that could increase.
