So… I’m back. Kinda.
My hometown was hit hard by Storm Kristin, with winds above 170 km/h. It arrived in the early hours of the 28th, between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m., tearing through the center part of Portugal while most of us were asleep. Experts later called it an “extreme climatic event,” with the Leiria district taking the first and hardest hit.
The entire district went dark. With no electricity came the loss of water, gas, and all communications: no internet, no landlines. Even mobile networks failed as cell towers were damaged or completely destroyed. For hours, and in some places days, people were left isolated, not knowing the extent of the damage or whether loved ones were safe.
I know I was incredibly lucky. My home only suffered minor roof damage. Our biggest worry was keeping the underground garages from flooding (three apartment buildings, one generator, and people taking turns keeping watch through the night). It was exhausting, but it felt small compared to what others went through. Many people lost their homes, their businesses, their cars, years, even lifetimes, erased in a few hours.
And yet, somehow, with all this destruction, only five people lost their lives. That feels almost impossible to comprehend.
What hurts most, though, is what this storm finished off. The last pine trees that had survived the 2017 forest fires and 2018’s Storm Leslie are now gone. Until 2017, this region was home to one of the largest pine forests in Europe.
I grew up surrounded by green. Trees were always there, part of the landscape, part of who we were. In less than ten years, almost all of it has disappeared. And I know I will never see it return in my lifetime. A pine tree takes around 60 years to reach maturity.
That loss feels permanent. And it’s heartbreaking.
But I’m alive and a few days without Internet isn’t the end of the world.
I tethered my smartphone connection with my PC and I was able to update my EndeavourOS so I decided to come here and say a quick hello.
Don’t know when I’ll be back because cell service is kinda bad during the day, due to the service providers prioritizing social and public services.
ps: These are some photos I’ve taken but I’ve seen far worst destruction then this.
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