Civil Protection in Santarém said it expects an “increase in the flow of the River Tagus downstream of Almourol” today, reflecting the discharges from the dams, and called on the population to take preventive and safety measures.
“In line with the current situation, and according to the information received from the APA [Portuguese Environment Agency] and EDP Produção for the Tagus basin, an increase in the flow of the Tagus river downstream of Almourol is forecast for today, reflecting the discharges that were felt at the end of yesterday and early this morning,” Civil Protection said in a statement.
In the same press release, sent out at the beginning of the afternoon, Santarém’s Civil Protection said that “discharges exceeded 2,000m3/s, with a peak of 2,600m3/s” on Friday.
“At the moment [13:13] there is a marked decrease in the flows being discharged, which will be felt downstream of Almourol from this afternoon onwards,” say the authorities.
On Friday, at 8pm, the Santarém District Civil Protection Commission activated the Special Emergency Plan for Floods in the Tagus Basin at its Blue Alert level due to rising waters, following a meeting to assess the flows and discharges from the dams.
“The flows of the Tagus exceeded 1,500 cubic meters per second (m3/s) at Almourol (Vila Nova da Barquinha) and we had to activate the [Special Emergency Plan for Floods in the Tagus Basin] much more out of prevention and precaution,” David Lobato, Sub-regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commander for the Middle Tagus, told Lusa.
The decision was taken at 8 p.m., after the forecast figures reached the limit for activation of the Special Emergency Plan for Floods in the Tagus Basin (1,500 m3/s). The official said that the three dams (Castelo do Bode, Fratel and Pracana), “together, were discharging 2,600 m3/s at 8 p.m.”, causing flooding in some riverside areas and leading to the rescue of three shepherds on the banks of the Tagus, in the Alvega area (Abrantes).
Civil Protection points to the “precipitation that has been felt in Portugal”, and the “discharges from the dams and tributaries of the Tagus river basin” as the factors that have generated a “considerable increase in the hydrometric levels and flows of the Tagus river and its tributaries”.
On the Sorraia River, today’s press release indicates, “there was a significant rise in flows during the day yesterday, and there is now a drop in discharges from the Maranhão Dam and the Furadouro Weir” and “stabilization of the hydrometric height measured in Coruche”.
The Santarém district Civil Protection advises the population and municipal civil protection services, as well as asking the media to “continue to alert the population to self-protection measures in the event of floods”.
The authorities are asking the population to remove agricultural and industrial equipment, vehicles and other goods from the areas bordering the normally flooded water lines, move animals to safe places, not to cross flooded roads or areas with vehicles or on foot, and to take the necessary measures to protect themselves, their families and their property.
According to information from the Lezíria do Tejo and Médio Tejo Sub-Regional Commands, which are monitoring the situation, this Saturday there are constraints in the municipality of Abrantes, namely on the road from Tramagal to Santa Margarida, and in the riverside area of Alvega.
In Constância, part of the parking lot next to the River Zêzere, on Estrada da Coutada, and on the Caminho Agrícola do Campo between Quinta da Coutada and Tramagal were submerged.
In Vila Nova da Barquinha, the Almourol parking lot was submerged.
In the municipality of Coruche, the rising waters are forcing a detour on the Escusa Bridge, with restrictions on the Municipal Road (EM) – Meias road (E.N.114 – E.N.251, on the municipal roads 1427 (EN 114-3 to EN119) and H (EN 114-3 to EM 515 Biscainho), and on the road on the left bank of the River Sorraia.
In Golegã, the authorities are warning of restrictions on the Vale de Zebro road and the Cação bridge, and in the municipality of Santarém, of traffic restrictions on the Municipal Road (EM) 1348, between Vale de Figueira and Ribeira de Santarém, and on the EM 587, which leads to Ómnias.
Civil Protection says that “an increase in the flow of the River Tagus downstream of Almourol is to be expected in the coming hours” and that “it is foreseeable that a drop will begin to be felt in the Lezíria do Tejo area towards the end of this afternoon, a situation that is already beginning to be felt upstream of Almourol”.