The list lengthens as the number of damaged cars, businesses and road surfaces becomes clear on day two of the great clear-up in downtown Albufeira.
So far, 500 vehicles and 500 buildings are known to have suffered serious damage to which must be added lost stock from shops and bars. Many more cars remain in flooded basements.
One of the reasons for the flooding now is being discussed, with Albufeira council and the Polis company in the firing line for changing part of the the wide riverbed from the EN125 exit to the city into a tunnel for water and a smaller ditch with 800 metres of adjacent green spaces with outdoor seating alongside the new road layout into the city.
This was in 2011 and last weekend’s rainfall was the first test of what has proved to be a highly restricted outflow system which clearly was not fit for the purpose of evacuating Sunday's sudden volume of rain water.
There were problems also with a series of three sluice gates in the new water tunnel that should have been opened to allow the water through. These were not opened by council staff and the build-up of the water led to flooding along the road, much of the road surface now is destroyed (see picture below), and a body of water heading across the dual carriageway, through downtown Albufeira, seeking release in the sea.
Authorised by the last mayor, Desidério Silva, this civil engineering work went ahead despite no licence being obtained and in the face of an embargo by the Algarve’s Hydrographic Regional Management body.
Locals and business people now want to find out exactly why this work went ahead as it put their businesses at risk. Also, why the sluice gates were not opened.
One reason for the gates remaining closed, or half closed in one instance, was despite the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere issuing a red alert for the Algarve, as there as a high risk of large amounts of rainfall, the National Civil Protection Authority kept its alert level at blue when it should have changed to red in line with the weather service.
The €7.2 million engineering project was part of Albufeira council’s ‘major projects’ programme that included the enlargement of this main access route to the city.
At the time, the head of the hydrographic body, Valentina Calixto, expresses the fear that the restriction of 800 metre section of riverbed, "is likely to aggravate the situation when it floods.”
The mayor at the time, Desidério Silva, said the work was "decisive for the future of the county, as a major tourist center."
Desidério Silva hoped back then that the embargo would be lifted, but he carried on with the work anyway.
Valentina Calixto said in 2009 that the "objective of rehabilitating the river is interesting, but we have to look at the consequences that may result," and that the embargo "could have been avoided if the project had been submitted for evaluation.”
The request for authorisation of the work in fact was never made and the promise of a draft proposal to be sent to the hydrographical was not fulfilled.
Now that the system has been tested in anger with the huge rainfall last weekend, liability may lie with the council that promoted and without a license, undertook work that restricted an essential riverbed relief system, replacing its function with a tunnel that remained closed due to three shut sluice gates. Silva has some questions to answer.
The damage in Albufeira will run into millions of euros and today the Communist Party in parliament called for immediate support.
The Algarve mayors also have expressed their solidarity with Albufeira and Loulé after their Monday meeting during which they "unanimously decided to speak publicly sympathise with these two cities as well as towards their citizens who were the main victims of this tragedy.”
The situation regarding the declaration of Albufeira as a disaster zone remains undecided. All the government has said so far is that this is one of life’s lessons and Albufeira 'may qualify' as a flood risk area.
See: https://www.facebook.com/skynews/videos/1200494519965143/?theater
Pictutre from Sul Informção
