“The debris removal is underway and progressing at a good pace. We expect to complete this phase in approximately one week,” said a representative from the management of HolaCamp, a Spanish company based in Barcelona that operates a network of campsites in the Iberian Peninsula, including the one in Albufeira.
The only unit in Portugal of this luxury camping network was hit by a tornado on Saturday during storm Cláudia, resulting in six casualties at the campsite, including one fatality, two seriously injured, and three with minor injuries. The deceased was an 85-year-old British woman.
“A total of 12 families had to be immediately rehoused within the campsite itself, following safety protocols. There was no need to evacuate outside the premises,” added the same representative.
According to the campsite’s management, cleaning and repair works began the day after the storm, which also impacted a tourist resort in Albufeira, causing more than 20 minor injuries.
“We are currently completing a technical assessment together with the Civil Protection and experts and have already started removing damaged materials from the affected area,” said the HolaCamp representative.
The company reported that the storm damaged about 30 accommodation units within the campsite, including 25 mobile homes, five caravans, and several glamping tents.
The most damaged structures were mobile units, mobile homes, caravans, and glamping tents, located in the area where the tornado reached its greatest intensity, but the main infrastructure of the campsite did not suffer significant damage, it was emphasized.
“The campsite is open and operational. The affected area has been isolated, but the rest of the complex is functioning normally,” assured the campsite management.
In an assessment of the damage caused by the bad weather, the mayor of Albufeira, Rui Cristina, said that the tornado “did not cause significant damage” to public spaces, “nor did it affect” essential municipal infrastructure.
“We have recorded fallen trees and vertical signage, but everything has been practically restored, there was nothing beyond repair, nor anything very significant in the equipment and public spaces,” he stated.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) confirmed that the phenomenon that hit Albufeira on Saturday was a tornado, with wind gusts reaching about 220 kilometers per hour and covering a path of approximately four kilometers.
