Rains and landslides kill 32 on Madeira

[Syt]

CNN: At least 32 die in mudslide on Portuguese island of Madeira

(CNN) -- At least 32 people have died in mudslides on the Portuguese island of Madeira, which was hit by heavy downpours overnight, an official told CNN on Saturday.

Pedro Barbosa, the vice president of the Civil Protection Agency in Madeira, told CNN that an unknown number of people were missing -- perhaps dozens, he said.

The mudslides and flooding caused substantial damage to roads and homes in the capital, Funchal, and in Ribeira Brava, which are both on the southern portion of the Atlantic island, which lies about 600 miles southwest of Portugal, Barbosa said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and Interior Minister Rui Pereira arrived on the island on Saturday, according to CNN affiliate Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP).

Socrates told RTP that "the situation is under control" and the government is offering all its support to regional authorities. The country's president, Cavaco Silva, expressed his condolences to the people of Madeira in a televised statement and promised to do everything to help "during this difficult time."

Pedro Ramos of Dr. Nelio Mendonca Hospital in Funchal, told CNN that 68 wounded people were hospitalized from the mudslides and flooding. Three were critical, he said. The vice president of Madeira's regional government had tallied 68 victims with injuries, according to the official Lusa news agency.

The floodwaters overturned cars and knocked down trees, Barbosa said. Authorities have evacuated hundreds of people to military and civil protection facilities in Funchal, he said.

Search and rescue teams have been reinforced, but haven't been able to reach every area, according to the Civil Protection Agency.

The Portuguese military has dispatched five teams to help with search and rescue efforts, it announced on its Web site. The military is also ready to shelter up to 130 people where 50 people are already staying, it said.

Barbosa said weather conditions have substantially improved, with the rains winding down.

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is a popular resort destination. There have been no reports of any dead or missing tourists.

Really sucks.

It's a beautiful island, but extremely mountainous and steep, and considering that the majority of the not exactly rich inhabitants squeeze their houses into any free nook or cranny, esp. around Funchal, this was bound to happen.

[Syt]

Come to think of it, Madeira has over 2000km of irrigation and plenty of dry riverbeds where the water could go. Guess some areas still don't have enough drainage.

[Richard Hakluyt]

That terrain would lead to very rapid concentration of floodwater moving at high speed during a downpour. I would imagine that most of the island is absolutely fine, but that the flash-flooding in some places would have happened very quickly and with awesome force.

[Syt]

That terrain would lead to very rapid concentration of floodwater moving at high speed during a downpour. I would imagine that most of the island is absolutely fine, but that the flash-flooding in some places would have happened very quickly and with awesome force.

German media reports that most death occured in cars that were surprised by the landslides. And most affected buildgs were built in drainage paths.  Even so, the ribeiras seem to have been unable to cope with the force of the downpours.

Bear in mind that it hardly ever rains in the inhabited areas. Most clouds/moisture gets caught in the highlands (it does look a bit like Scotland) from where it's funnelled into the extensive irrigation systems, leading to a water abundance on the small island.

Hm, maybe if budget permits I may go there again next year.

[Duque de Bragança]

That terrain would lead to very rapid concentration of floodwater moving at high speed during a downpour. I would imagine that most of the island is absolutely fine, but that the flash-flooding in some places would have happened very quickly and with awesome force.

German media reports that most death occured in cars that were surprised by the landslides. And most affected buildgs were built in drainage paths.  Even so, the ribeiras seem to have been unable to cope with the force of the downpours.

Bear in mind that it hardly ever rains in the inhabited areas. Most clouds/moisture gets caught in the highlands (it does look a bit like Scotland) from where it's funnelled into the extensive irrigation systems, leading to a water abundance on the small island.

Hm, maybe if budget permits I may go there again next year.

Illegal buildings affected primary by the floods ? How surprising... Some people never seem to learn though, same with forest fires e.g "I want a house by the river/in the forest".

Politically, it seems the Prime minister and the local (centre-)right President  (Gauleiter according to the Lisboete leftists) are calling a truce after quarrelling about regional funds transfer.

Madeira is still higher on my travel list than Lisbon.

[clandestino]

Not much to had.

Help is being delivered as possible. When the worst is over it will start the real fun with people trying to find someone to blame, as in the Portuguese way.

Anyway, I'll leave here a video. Impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFKcYlRq9AQ&feature=video_response