The lower town of Alcacer-do-Sal and the riverside area were flooded, with water reaching about two meters in some places. People had to be evacuated, some even by boat and schools and roads had to be shut down. The flooding of the area also affected several smaller communities like the town of Casebres, where roads were also cut.

According to the City Council of Alcacer-do-Sal, the city had counted more than 10 million euros in private losses and 20 million euros in municipal infrastructure. There is seemingly no record of the estimation of the agricultural damages.

The recovery has been underway ever since the water receded, with a great cleanup to be done. Both municipal crews, volunteers, firefighters and residents have been clearing mud, which had entered many stores and restaurants, while trying to salvage stock. It is especially downtown and riverside zones that were affected, including archaeological material.

It has been possible to apply for flood relief aid in the region, albeit delays have been reported.

The residents of Alcacer-do-sal are, however, tough to beat. An extensive reconstruction has been on the way for a few months now and several shops are back in action. The municipality call the campaign “Reerguer Alcacer” – “Rebuild Alcacer”. Although the involvement of the municipality in the reconstruction of the shops and other businesses affected by the flood is not clear, the campaign gives warm attention to the individual businesses and their owners.

One of these businesses is the famous shrimp saleswomen of Alcacer do Sal, who have their fixed spot on the main square by the river. Here they sell fresh shrimps and crawfish from the river. They are a fixed part of the Alcacer do Sal landscape and their return has an important symbolic meaning for the strength of the city.

Historically, Alcacer do Sal was an important trade city because of its proximity to the Atlantic and the waterway up the River Sado. Early settlements from the Copper Age and Iron Age have been found, as well as Roman settlements and signs of global trade. Unfortunately, the archives and historical artefacts based in the building Pacos de Concelho were affected. Around 700 boxes were stored in the basement. These artefacts will now be moved to a room in Castelo de Arez, so that the identification and marking of them can continue. Also, the citizens’ archive has been affected and will equally be moved to Castelo de Arez for restoration.

The municipality of Alcacer-do-sal has around 11,112 residents during its last count in 2021 and around 5,350 in the city. It is built around the Sado River basin with short connections to Comporta, Troia, Grandola and Setubal.

If you would like to donate to the “Rebuild Alcacer”-campaign do those that were affected by the flood, get in touch with Camara Municipal de Alcacer do Sal on Instagram or via e-mail. And if you are nearby, please visit, and enjoy the river walk way and the calm and beautiful “sossego” views of the water from the town square.