Flooding hits Alcacer do Sal after storms
Sado River overflow submerges streets and forces rescues
Alcácer do Sal saw waist-deep flooding after successive storms led the Sado River to overflow, submerging streets, homes and businesses and forcing emergency rescues. Footage showed residents wading through inundated thoroughfares while firefighters aided evacuations and helped vulnerable people reach safety. Outdoor restaurant terraces and ground floors of shops were underwater; sandbags were used to shield doors as crews monitored neighborhoods for further evacuations. Municipal officials reported rapid rises in water levels in low-lying riverfront areas, with saturated ground from prior storms compounding runoff and overwhelming drainage.
Local authorities mobilized civil protection teams, deploying boats and high-clearance vehicles and preparing temporary shelters for those displaced; several homes were evacuated as a precaution. No deaths were reported, though some people required medical attention for minor injuries and exposure. Power and water supplies were temporarily disrupted in parts of the town, and cleanup operations—pumping water, clearing debris and assessing structural damage—were expected to take days.
Business owners described severe losses as stock, equipment and furnishings were damaged within hours, and farmers in the surrounding Sado valley reported flooded fields and potential crop impacts. Residents said warnings were sometimes limited, leaving little time to protect property; many spent the night moving belongings upstairs and sealing doors. Volunteers joined municipal workers to assist vulnerable neighbors and begin recovery efforts as waters receded.
Authorities raised national alert levels and warned that several rivers are at high risk of flooding, urging people to avoid inundated areas because of contamination and unstable surfaces. Officials and climate experts highlighted that more intense rainfall events are increasing flood risks, underscoring calls for greater investment in flood defenses and climate adaptation. Municipal leaders said the town will seek support for infrastructure repairs and aid for affected families, while monitoring continues amid forecasts for further unsettled weather.
