Santarem, Portugal, Feb. 6, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese prime minister estimated on Friday that the damage caused by the recent bad weather already exceeds €4 billion, assuring that the Government will resort to "all possible financial instruments".
Luís Montenegro visited the municipal pavilion in Santarém today, without prior information to the media, which is hosting displaced people who were removed from their homes, where some journalists were present, and took the opportunity to take stock of the support already made available by the Government.
"With regard to the restoration of homes, we already have around 450 people who have used the platform to access the support that is available. In terms of farmers, there are already more than 1,200. In terms of companies, there are also around 1,200. We are already talking about financial resources exceeding €350-400 million for all of this aid," he said in statements broadcast by some television stations that were at the scene.
The prime minister was also asked whether Portugal will use European funds to finance this support.
"We are using all the instruments and will use all the financial instruments to be able to cope with a level of losses that we estimate, at this moment, has already exceeded four billion euros," he said.
Among these instruments, Montenegro included "private resources (such as insurance companies) as well as public resources".
"We will have to have financing capacity, we have the state budget, we have a reorganisation of available funds, including the Recovery and Resilience Programme, and we will also have other funds for which we are applying and for which we are in constant contact with the relevant bodies," he said, without giving further details.
The prime minister added that six of the 12 mobile vans announced at Thursday's Cabinet meeting are already in place, as well as 275 Citizen Spaces that are "already open and available to receive people, to help them fill in the online forms, so that they can speed up this procedure".
"I also take advantage of your work and your collaboration to be able to reach those who are already able to watch television with this information. In this way, or through all other digital platforms, radio, they can know that they can go to the Citizen Spaces, to the Parish Councils," he said.
Thirteen people have died in Portugal since last week as a result of the Kristin and Leonardo storms, which also left many hundreds injured and homeless.
The total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, the fall of trees and structures, the closure of roads, schools and transport services, and the cutting of power, water and communications, and now, vast areas of flooding, are the main material consequences of the storms.
The Central, Lisbon and Tagus Valley and Alentejo regions are the most affected.
The government has extended the state of emergency until day 15 for 68 districts, which will benefit from support measures worth up to €2.5 billion.
The state of emergency in mainland Portugal was initially declared between 28 January and 1 February for around 60 districts, and was then extended until the 8th for 68 districts, and again until 15 February.
SMA/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
