“We conducted an initial assessment to ensure our teams could access the area safely, and currently, of the thousand hectares under Parques de Sintra’s management, about 280 were affected by Storm Martinho,” stated Sofia Cruz, the president of the publicly owned corporation, in a statement.
The official further noted that of these 280 hectares, approximately 89 hectares are “severely affected by the storm, which means there are trees piled on top of each other, complicating their removal.”
“This is the unseen part of our operation. There are a thousand hectares, some with very rugged terrain, so in the first phase, we checked the buildings to ensure no severe damages in the palaces, and safely unblocked access roads to our service gates, for our staff and external entities assisting us with the initial cleanup,” emphasized Sofia Cruz.
In a statement, Parques de Sintra-Monte da Lua reported that “detailed mapping, conducted through drones and on-the-ground inspections, identified around 200 hectares of forest severely affected, out of which 89 hectares suffered very severe damages, resulting in about 93,000 trees being knocked down.”
“In the forests and enclosures, particularly those of Monserrate and D. Fernando II, an additional 5,000 trees fell across 80 hectares,” added the organization managing the monuments and parks of the Sintra Mountain Range.
In the weeks leading up to Storm Martinho, the Sintra Mountain Range experienced significant rainfall, leading to soil saturation, and during the night of March 19-20, heavy rain and strong winds were recorded, with gusts reaching 169 kilometers per hour at Cabo da Roca.
“The unusual wind direction, predominantly from the south, played a decisive role in the extent of the damage. Additionally, the morphology of the mountain range’s valleys” intensified “the devastating effects of these exceptionally strong winds,” as stated in the report.
The combination of high precipitation levels in February and March, water-saturated soils, shallow-rooted trees, and wind conditions “led to the fall of approximately 98,000 trees of various species” in the Sintra forest area.
“The vast devastation is due to the rainfall” in the weeks before Storm Martinho, noted Sofia Cruz, highlighting that with “winds around 120 kilometers” from an unusual southern direction, reaching up to 170 km/h at Cabo da Roca, “roots became unstable” making it “hard for anything to remain standing.”
Besides the southern areas of Pena Park, more exposed to winds, the Moorish Castle was also severely affected, as well as the Convent of the Capuchos, with damage mainly to trees but also to “walls and embankments.”
Actions include urgently clearing fallen trees, stabilizing walls, embankments, and roads that were seriously compromised, and conducting rigorous risk and damage assessments.
“Currently, two sections corresponding to an area of 89 hectares are classified as priorities, already undergoing urgent interventions,” and before the critical fire season begins “within three months, intensive operations will take place to remove fallen trees and restore safety conditions in these two sections,” announced the corporation.
This process, which required an initial immediate investment of 300,000 euros, will have to be paused during the critical period due to legal requirements and will resume in September to be completed by year-end. Additionally, eight other sections, totaling 113 hectares with varying priority levels, have been identified.
This intervention, requiring an estimated investment of 1.2 million euros, is set to begin “in the second half of this year and is expected to continue over the next two years,” the company indicated.
Parques de Sintra noted that concurrently, it is “developing a detailed plan to mitigate the erosive effects caused by this event and promote reforestation of the affected areas,” prioritizing “the planting of native species, strategies to maintain soil stabilization, restoration of the vegetation cover, maintenance of hydric balance, and reestablishment of natural habitats,” ensuring greater “forest resilience against future extreme events.”
The assessment of risks and investment needs in built heritage caused by the storm, particularly in walls, embankments, and buildings, identified “12 urgent interventions, some of which are already underway, requiring an investment of around 1.5 million euros.”
On the route between the Capuchos and Azóia, ongoing work was observed to clear the road and the pile of trees below the Monk area, mostly acacias, battered by the wind and laid to the ground like pieces of the game “mikado,” as noted by a forestry technician from Parques de Sintra.
After the Peninha crossroad, a large sequoia fell on the roadside leading to the forest perimeter, exposing the roots, and further along, the Adrenunes picnic area was completely destroyed under large trees, including a thuja, which fell by the roadside.
Affected species include acacias, eucalyptus, pittosporums, cypresses, pines, sequoias, and oaks, but so far no traces of animal species directly affected by the storm have been found.
“I know people expected a quick response, but our priority was always to ensure safety for workers, for visitors” and only then “continue this work which will take us quite some time to complete,” summed up Sofia Cruz, predicting that on the 8th, “some more areas of Pena Park, the Moorish Castle, and the Convent of the Capuchos will reopen.”
