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Over
18 million euros' worth of damage was caused to the
central region of Portugal on 7th December 2010 when a
tornado unexpectedly ripped it's way through the quiet
countryside.
The
towns of
Tomar and
Ferreira do Zêzere
suffered devastating damage to property in late 2010
when a tornado touched ground just after 3pm.
The
twister travelled for over 48 kilometres, laying waste
to hundreds of homes, businesses and trees as it ripped
through the countryside before dissipating. No one was
killed in the most economically damaging tornado to
touch ground in Portugal, though injuries were sustained
to some bystanders.
The
Tomar Twister, as it has been named, took most residents
and visitors by surprise and despite hundred year old
trees being ripped from their resting places only a few
were injured in it's path.
Among
those who needed hospital treatment was a nine year old
child, who suffered a broken leg after being sucked from
her classroom, then deposited on the playground
two storeys below. The rest of her classmates, who
amazingly were unhurt, were treat for shock. The
school's roof had been ripped off and was also deposited
on the playground below.
Local
estate agent Claudia Silva of
Chavetejo Estate Agents
had a front row seat for the Tornado's mighty force. "My
partners and I, when the electricity cut out at the
office, decided to go home for the weekend. I was in my
car, across from the Parque do Mouchão when the sky went
dark and the car began to shake violently and I couldn't
see anything for the leaves swirling at the windows."
"It was
a very scary situation. The noise was like something I
have never heard before or since. It was this primeval
growl. I didn't know it was a tornado at the time, I
didn't know what it was and I telephoned my boyfriend to
tell him I was scared, but there was no mobile signal."
Another
witness to the tornado in
Tomar
was designer Claire
O'Hea. Claire was shopping in the historic centre of the
town and also didn't realise the danger she was in at
first,
"The sky
went dark very suddenly," said Claire. "I thought it was
a flock of crows circling at first, but it got darker
very quickly and then I realised it was actually roof
tiles which were swirling above and I ran as fast as I
could to get to a cafe and get undercover."
The
tornado which touched ground west of
Tomar, close to the
UNESCO listed Convento do Cristo ripped up the
countryside, through the neighbouring town of Ferreira
do Zêzere until it ran out of force close to Serta, 48
kilometres away caused over four million Euros
worth of damage to homes, businesses and roads. |
