This Thursday, February 5, the national commander of Civil Protection asked people in riverside areas to abandon their homes and go to safe places, warning of forecasts of an intense and rapid increase in flow in the Tagus River.
According to Mário Silvestre, the speed and intensity of the increase in the Tagus River’s flow has not happened like this since 1997.
“Since 1997, approximately, we have not had an episode like this in the Tagus Basin and the Tagus River. And, therefore, this implies care on the part of the riverside population who are used to this phenomenon, but since 1997 we have not had a phenomenon potentially of this dimension”, he warned in a press conference at the headquarters of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), in Carnaxide, Oeiras, after the activation of the red alert for the Tagus basin due to the abrupt rise in flow.
According to the person responsible, the phenomenon is explained, on the one hand, by the fact that the Spanish Alcântara and Cedilho dams are “delivering very high flows in the Tagus River”, around 7 thousand cubic meters per second, and, on the other, the occurrences in the basins in Portugal, which could explain flows “in the order of 9 thousand cubic meters per second”.
“What is recommended to everyone is, preventively, remove things from your homes, get to safety, leave your homes, that is, go to safe places whenever possible. Safe behavior at this time is critical so that we can get through this episode without having victims to mourn”, said the national commander.
Mário Silvestre pointed out that The expected effects are flooding in urban areas, floods and landslides, in addition to slippery floors and the formation of sheets of water.
With the floods and the waterways There are also objects that are dragged onto the roads, therefore leaving recommendations for drivers.
“If you are driving, do not cross flooded roads. It is critical that they do not do so. Stop in a safe and elevated place, away from water lines, 30 centimeters of water for most vehicles, is the same as the vehicle being stopped in water due to inhaling it, and therefore this immediately puts people at risk”, he warned, adding that tunnels, rivers and valleys should be avoided.
It also recommended that people to stay away from electrical equipment and to take only the essentials in case they have to leave their home: “And when we talk about essentials, we talk about things as simple as people who have medication associated with their normality, taking that medication with them.”
He also said that children should be kept away from watercourses, he recommended that animals be protected by placing them in safe areas and that people should not approach risk areas to photograph or film the rise of water, especially in the dam starting areas.
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