As the municipal Civil Protection authority, Jorge Almeida told Lusa that the flow of the Águeda River increased overnight, which, before the works carried out, would have caused flooding in the lower part of the city of Águeda, in the district of Aveiro.
“What happened this morning was consistent with flooding in lower Águeda because the river flow increased considerably, but the drainage system we set up worked perfectly, and everything is calm and dry on the right bank,” he stated.
Storm consequences
Regarding the storm’s consequences in the municipality, the mayor confirmed that the Águeda River overflowed, crossing the left bank and causing “usual rural floods” and the closure of some roads.
“Some rural roads, the country streets, are closed due to flooding, but this is a normal situation, both on the banks of the Vouga River and the Águeda River, when the water levels increase,” he said.
The Mayor of Águeda also reported that a landslide had occurred, which had already been resolved by the municipal Civil Protection services, along with minor incidents.
“There was a small landslide on the road connecting Águeda to Aveiro, in Travassô, where a slope collapsed, but our services have already resolved it,” he reported.
Flood control intervention
In November 2023, the City Council moved forward with the second phase of structural flood control interventions, guided by the City of Águeda’s General Drainage Plan (PGDCA) and aimed at improving the hydraulic performance of the drainage system.
This phase repeated the model implemented in the city centre, being carried out west of the EN1 and including the construction or raising of walls along Rua 5 de Outubro and Cais dos Judeus. It also included the construction of the pumping station in Paredes and the creation of retention valves and pumps “to force the water into the river”, for a total investment of five million euros.