Portugal Braces for Storm Leonardo

Storm Leonardo arrives on the heels of Storm Kristin, which had already saturated soils and overloaded water systems across Portugal. This follow-up storm is now impacting regions still recovering from widespread destruction to homes, factories, and infrastructure, including damage to F-16 fighter jets at the Monte Real air base. The government has already approved a €2.5 billion package of loans and incentives to aid recovery from the previous storm. The Portugal Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) issued orange and yellow alerts for the mainland, with meteorologists forecasting that mountainous regions in the North and Centre could receive 150-250 mm of rainfall. The IPMA has also issued a red warning for the Azores, with waves potentially reaching 10-19 meters and wind gusts up to 110 km/h. The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) has mobilized 18,000 personnel and raised its alert level to the maximum. The storm's impact has been immediate, with ANEPC logging over 250 weather-related incidents overnight, including fallen trees and minor landslides that have disrupted train services on the Linha de Cascais and Linha do Douro. In the southern Algarve region, more than 134 incidents were recorded in a 24-hour period, ranging from urban flooding to road blockages. A 70-year-old man died near a flooded dam after his car was swept away. In response to communication outages during recent storms, Portugal's mobile operators are partnering with the government to distribute over 5,000 emergency roaming eSIM cards in affected areas. This initiative allows individuals to connect to any available network while permanent repairs, which could take up to 18 months, are underway. The government also plans to equip all 3,258 parishes with emergency Siresp phones, satellite phones, and a satellite internet connection like Starlink. This series of storms highlights the country's vulnerability to extreme weather events, prompting experts to call for better land management and "sponge cities" that can absorb water. The events also test the effectiveness of Portugal's new centralized crisis management hub, CORGOV, which was inspired by the UK's COBR cabinet room and is designed to unify political coordination and public messaging during emergencies. The government has extended a state of emergency, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro calling the situation a "devastating crisis" that will require a long recovery. Major public projects are being halted to redeploy workers for flood protection and restoration efforts. In the city of Almada alone, 502 residents remain displaced due to landslides triggered by the recent storms. This event fits into a broader European trend of leveraging technology for disaster resilience. The EU-funded I-REACT project, for example, develops tools like mobile apps for real-time reporting and wearables to monitor first responders. Similarly, the ANYWHERE project has developed a pan-European platform that uses hundreds of algorithms to provide early warnings for hazards like floods and severe winds to emergency management authorities.