Dozens of vehicles were damaged on Tuesday in Portalegre, and several were swept away by the force of water, mud, and rocks descending from the slopes of the Serra de São Mamede mountain range following the passage of Storm Leonardo, the mayor told the Lusa news agency.

According to Mayor Fermelinda Carvalho, “chaos is widespread” in a specific area of the city, particularly between Avenida de Santo António (near the hospital), Avenida da Liberdade, and the Rossio area. These locations were heavily affected by flooding and large accumulations of mud.

“The water, mud, and rocks came down from the slopes and dragged cars along with them. It’s absolute chaos,” the mayor said.

She added that by around 8:00 am, Civil Protection teams and municipal services were already carrying out cleanup operations and closing off roads in the Rossio area.

“We have resources on the ground, and more are on the way to deal with the situation. We are mobilising tractors from local farmers and machinery from business owners so everything can be cleared as quickly as possible,” she said.