Cost Of Algarve Tornado Estimated At Almost 5 Million Euros

Mayors of the Silves and Lagoa municipalities have estimated the cost of the damages incurred during the tornado that hit the area last Friday at being nearly 5 million euros.

According to the Portuguese news agency Lusa the mayors have come up with the figure after assessing the level of damage in all the affected areas but that the Portuguese government should be putting into place mechanisms to help to support victims of the freak weather occurrence.

A statement released by the government to the mayors of the municipalities said that the government has “the intention of supporting the families affected as soon as possible through the appropriate legal channels”.

The extent of the damages sustained by people in the Lagoa and Silves area was presented by the mayors of each municipality to the minister of internal affairs, Miguel Macedo.

In Silves the amount of damage was put at 1.6 million euros to public property and land while the damage to private properties is said to be worth 2.1 million euros.

In Lagoa the municipality incurred losses totalling 350,000 euros while the cost of damage to private properties was estimated to be around 1.1 million euros.

Silves mayor Rogério Pinto said: “We have concluded a preliminary report of the damages caused by the tornado and have seen the level of financial damage in both the public and private sectors.

“There will be no compromise in offering support and the legal mechanisms to provide money to victims should be in place by Thursday.  Then we will be able to determine the level of support that the government will be giving us in Silves.”

José Eduardo Inacio, the mayor of Lagoa Câmara said that he was “concerned” about the legal framework involved in providing financial support, especially in the cases of the loss of private cars and homes.

He added that the government were open to discussion about compensation for affected families but that he was concerned about the social situation of people affected.

According to José Eduardo Inacio every case is going to be reviewed but he warned that there were cases of people who had not been insured and others who had insurance but that it did not cover them for an event such as this.

The tornado that hit Lagoa, Carvoeiro and Silves left 13 people injured, two of whom were seriously injured, while 12 people were left homeless.

In Silves the municipal swimming pool and the football club were badly affected and damaged while camper vans, homes and cars were destroyed.

In Lagoa the worst hit area was on the outskirts of the city with between 70 and 80 apartments suffering damages.