It was Storm Kristin

They named it Kristin. It will go down in the records as a large and violent storm that hit some regions of Portugal, with wind gusts reaching speeds of 150 km/h and torrential rain for several hours. It all happened in the early hours of Wednesday, February 28th.

The images reveal: large-scale deforestation, destroyed homes, downed power lines, disrupted communications and road closures, flooding, and landslides. More than 800,000 people were left without power, and it is still unknown when the power grid will be fully restored. There were also fatalities.

The Portuguese government described it as "an extreme weather phenomenon that caused significant damage in various parts of the country.".

One of the affected areas was Proença-a-Nova. The house of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood was hit with significant damage to the roof, agricultural infrastructure, and trees: a centuries-old cork oak simply fell, and several trees were uprooted or had their trunks broken in half.

According to the testimony of Father Virgílio, who was in the eye of the storm, “We woke up in the early morning around 4 am to a deafening noise of wind and rain. Around 5 am, the wind and rain intensified and began to tear off part of the roof of the house. Some tiles fell inside the house, opening a gap for the storm. Since, in addition to the priests, 18 people lived in the house, the priority was to keep them safe. Now, immediately and as soon as the weather permits, we must get to work and replace the entire roof. The damage is extensive. Thank God there were no fatalities in this area.”

There was also damage to other church structures, especially churches and chapels.

There are numerous appeals on social media requesting solidarity. We are also making one here: you can help the Missionaries of the Precious Blood by making a donation on this website.

(Father Luís Filipe)