Remains of tiles, zinc sheets, and bricks scattered along Rua Luís de Camões, one of the most visibly affected areas in the village with a population of 150, reflect the aftermath of strong winds experienced earlier today. This scene was observed by local agency Lusa at the site.
“I was the first to arrive. I stopped by the bakery, as I always do, saw the tornado pass by, and then informed Civil Protection, the firefighters, and the GNR,” explained Manuel Corte Negra, pointing to his mother’s house, one of the affected buildings, and noting the partially uncovered roof.
Further up the same street, Maria Adriano is still shaken from the experience. She and her husband were in bed when they heard a “very loud thunder” and realized something had “fallen on the back door” of their house.
“It was a huge scare. We rushed out in our nightgowns and saw that the tree, chimney, and flower pots had fallen,” she recounted.
Watching her grandson attempt to upright the fallen white chimney onto their roof, the resident expressed disbelief that the family car, parked in front of the house, escaped unscathed.
“Nothing fell on the car by sheer luck, [but] a nearby car was scratched,” she exemplified.
Meanwhile, Sónia Fontes, who had taken her children to school in the municipal seat, returned to find a tree in the middle of the road. “By the time I got home, my brother was already on the roof lifting tiles. [From what I know], a large beam from a roof hit the conservatory windows, breaking the shutters and glass,” she explained.
Attempting to make sense of the situation, Sónia disclosed that her mother “heard a noise” and “opened the door” to investigate, but the wind’s force prevented her from closing it again.
“My brother said it sounded like a very loud thunder, like a bomb going off, something we’ve never witnessed before,” she said.
The event reportedly swept through the area in just “a matter of seconds,” taking locals by surprise.
“Thank God the damage wasn’t worse,” she emphasized, admitting the potential for greater destruction: “We have broken glass, but if it had happened on a weekend or holiday…”.
Armed with shovels and brooms, the Beja Municipal Civil Protection teams, aided by residents, are left with the task of continuing to clear debris from ripped-off rooftops and a yard wall toppled by a fallen tree.
Normally a quiet village, it is now marked by uprooted trees, exposed roofs, and metal pieces from a nearby shed that lost its cover.
In a statement to Lusa, the deputy commander of the Beja Volunteer Firefighters, António Guerreiro, reported that the strong winds occurred around 08:00.
“It lasted only a few seconds. By 08:15, it had passed through Porto Peles causing some destruction, but fortunately, there were no injuries or displaced residents,” indicated Paulo Arsénio, the Mayor of Beja, to the journalists.
