Impacts of the storm Hercules in Portugal

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the impacts of the Hercules storm in Portugal.The storm occurred from January 5th to 7th, 2014. A brief characterization of the storm wasconducted and the witnesses’ accounts were compiled, complemented with field survey beforeand after the storm. The results show that this event had origin in a strong system of low pressurethat hit Portugal. The system triggered strong sea waves with long periods, run-ups between 6 to9 m, and inundation depths mostly under 1 m. The effects on the Portuguese coastline showedsome weaknesses in the spatial planning management: (i) the fact that a wave train restrictedtothe beaches, front streets, ports and marinas caused significant damage; (ii) some people ignoredthe emergency management authorities, putting themselves in a risk situation.