Alcacer do Sal, Setubal, Portugal, Feb. 5, 2026 (Lusa) - A total of 89 people have been rescued from the flooding of the River Sado in Alcácer do Sal, in the Setúbal region of Portugal, between Wednesday night and early this Thursday morning, a local Civil Protection source told the Lusa news agency.

"The tide is rising slowly and now there is nothing we can do but wait for nature to reduce the flow of the Sado [river], with the peak of the high tide expected at 6 a.m.," said the sub-regional commander of Emergency and Civil Protection for the Alentejo coast.

Tiago Bugio welcomed the efforts of all the personnel involved, including firefighters, National guard (GNR) military personnel and employees of the local authority, totalling around 80 people, and the fact that there were no injuries.

On Wednesday night, the same source had indicated the need to rescue 70 people due to incidents related to flooding, as the flow of the River Sado was rising "more and more".

The Sub-Regional Commander for Emergency and Civil Protection for the Alentejo Coastal Region, Tiago Bugio, stressed in a statement at 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday night that the situation is "increasingly complicated."

Tiago Bugio said that the rising water was also reaching Grândola and Odemira (Beja).

Schools in Alcácer do Sal will be closed today and Friday due to worsening weather conditions, affecting more than a thousand pupils, who will have classes at home.

Eleven people have died in Portugal since last week as a result of storms Kristin and Leonardo, which also left several hundred people injured and homeless.

The government has declared a state of emergency until next Sunday for 68 districts and announced a package of support measures worth up to €2.5 billion.

HPG/AYLS // AYLS

Lusa