The 12 municipalities on the islands of the Central (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Faial, and Pico) and Western (Flores and Corvo) groups, which were the hardest hit by the post-tropical storm passing through the archipelago, had activated their municipal emergency plans.
On their official social media pages, the municipalities of Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória on Terceira Island, Horta on Faial Island, Madalena on Pico Island, and Velas on São Jorge Island announced that their emergency plans were deactivated between the morning and early afternoon.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) had predicted that tropical cyclone Gabrielle would pass through the Azores as a category 1 hurricane but it transformed into a post-tropical storm.
The most critical period occurred between 3:00 AM and 9:00 AM local time (one hour later in Lisbon), affecting Graciosa, Faial, and Terceira Islands the most.
The islands of the Central and Western groups were under a red warning (the most severe on a scale of three) due to precipitation, wind, and maritime agitation.
The Azorean Civil Protection recorded 196 incidents in the archipelago, with no injuries reported, and 16 people needing relocation.
In a statement, the Municipality of Horta revealed that Faial Island registered “52 incidents and relocated six people, in an operation that involved 123 human resources, supported by 38 vehicles, from all civil protection agents in the county.”
The municipality of Madalena on Pico Island reported that the storm caused 12 incidents in the area.
“The parish of São Caetano was the most affected by the storm, registering three incidents, one of high complexity, affecting 16 homes. In Bandeiras, Madalena, and São Mateus, there are also reports of infrastructure damage and fallen trees,” the statement reads.
In Praia da Vitória on Terceira Island, the municipality reported “23 incidents and two people relocated, in an operation that involved 37 municipal human resources, supported by various equipment and other civil protection agents in the county.”
The local authority decided to maintain a ban on parking at Poço da Areia and circulation along the Praia da Vitória and Biscoitos waterfronts until 5 PM today.
