Storm Kristin has left central Portugal with severe destruction, major power outages and a reconstruction bill that officials say could reach billions of euros.
Hundreds of homes in central Portugal were left without roofs after last week's storm, and tens of thousands of people lost power as residents queued for basic building materials.
The storm struck early on Wednesday (28 January) with wind gusts hitting 200 kph and heavy rain that uprooted trees across several districts.
At least six people were killed and hundreds of thousands of households were initially cut off from electricity.
In Leiria, one of the hardest hit areas, people described sudden and violent damage. Paula Franco, standing in line for donated tiles to repair her home, said, "The roof blew off, all the windowpanes are broken, everything is chaos and misery."
The region, known for its plastics and metalworking industries, reported extensive damage to homes, schools, factories and transport links. At the Monte Real air base, several aircraft, including F16 fighter jets, were damaged.
Portugal's government approved a €2.5 billion package of loans and incentives to help people and businesses rebuild.
Officials said they may also seek grants from the European Solidarity Fund and unused European Union recovery money to support the effort. Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho said nearly 170,000 households were still without power on Monday (2 February).
Damage in the Leiria region alone could total between €1.5 billion and €2 billion, according to Henrique Carvalho, president of the Leiria Business Association. He told broadcaster NOW that early assessments suggest losses on a massive scale.
Authorities said teams are still reaching remote areas and warned that the numbers may rise.
The government extended a state of calamity across 69 municipalities until 8 February, with forecasts pointing to more rain and possible flooding in the coming days.
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Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (28 January), as it toppled trees, damaged homes, and disrupted road and rail traffic before moving inland to Spain.
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