Seven of the nine islands in the Azores archipelago are on red alert this Thursday and Friday due to tropical cyclone Gabrielle.
The regional government of the Azores has ordered the closure of schools and public services on the islands of the Western group (Flores and Corvo) and Central group (Terceira, Graciosa, Faial, Pico, and São Jorge) from 6 p.m. on September 25 to 6 p.m. on September 26.
Municipal authorities are preparing emergency plans and residents are starting to brace for impact by securing their properties.
The memory of Hurricane Lorenzo remains vivid among the Azorean people, especially the residents of Flores, who still lack a commercial port six years after the storm and fear the potential aftermath of a new storm.
Trail of Devastation Caused by “Giant” Waves
On October 2, 2019, months before the COVID-19 pandemic, the archipelago was hit by Hurricane Lorenzo.
Flores experienced wind gusts of around 200 km/h, and the waves that hit the island were described as “giant,” leaving the only commercial port of the Western group of the archipelago “completely destroyed” and non-operational.
For months, the island’s supply was compromised and had to be facilitated by air. Six years later, the situation has improved but remains far from ideal or fully normalized.
Following years of unfulfilled promises and pleas for assistance, the Regional Government, led by José Manuel Bolieiro, announced in May this year that the infrastructure will cost approximately 230 million euros and is expected to be completed by 2030, 11 years after Hurricane Lorenzo destroyed it.
Currently, one of the biggest fears of the inhabitants of Flores is that tropical cyclone Gabrielle could destroy the progress made and further delay “the most complex maritime-port work” in the region.
Hurricane Lorenzo Caused 330 Million Euros in Damages
Hurricane Lorenzo did not only cause devastation in Flores in 2019. The storm inflicted 330 million euros in damages, impacting various sectors. Besides port infrastructure and port-related activities, it also affected road networks, public facilities, housing, agriculture, and the private business sector throughout the archipelago.
In 24 hours, the storm caused 255 incidents and forced the relocation of 53 people, mostly on the island of Faial.
The gallery above offers a glimpse of some images captured during Hurricane Lorenzo’s passage through the region.
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