The commander of Évora’s volunteer firefighters, Rogério Santos, clarified that the company owning Évora Plaza shopping center did not officially report the incident.
“The mall management did not request any assistance from the firefighters, so there was no external help,” he stated.
However, the fire chief noted that he was present at the scene and observed that “the glass facing the balcony on the first floor was shattered inward.”
“This glass structure separates the balcony from the food court of the shopping center, but the wind dislodged the structure and the glass shattered and fell inside,” he explained.
Fortunately, the incident “did not cause any injuries” and did not collapse the roof.
“The mall’s roof remains intact. It was the doors and glass structure that could not withstand the wind pressure,” reported Rogério Santos.
Joaquim Piteira, head of the Évora Municipal Civil Protection Service, confirmed that the owner of the mall also did not request their intervention.
“Everything was handled by Évora Plaza’s internal team. Officially, nothing was communicated to the Municipal Civil Protection,” he said.
Despite the turbulence, Joaquim Piteira assured that “there were no injuries” and the “situation was resolved by the owner.”
Since Wednesday, mainland Portugal and the archipelago of Madeira have been impacted by the effects of depression Claudia, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
Up to 11:00 AM today, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) reported two deaths, five people displaced from two flooded homes, and a total of 918 incidents. Furthermore, 13,000 customers were left without electricity.
José Costa from ANEPC stated that two individuals lost their lives in Fernão Ferro, Seixal, Setúbal district, due to the flooding of a residence, and five people were displaced in Alferrarede, Abrantes, due to similar conditions.
Overall, by 11:00 AM, there were 918 recorded incidents in Portugal, 594 of which were floods and 140 were fallen trees.
The Lisbon and Tagus Valley region was hit hardest by depression Claudia, with 540 recorded incidents.
The Central region accounted for 263 incidents, the North recorded 66, the Alentejo 19, and the Algarve 31, according to ANEPC.
As of 10:30 AM, E-REDES reported 13,000 customers affected by power outages, primarily in the districts of Lisbon, Santarém, and Setúbal, according to an official company source.
