Little has been reported about the effect storm Kristin had on Central Portugal and the devastation it caused. The storm roared through the country on the night of 28th January 2026. It swept across the central region with wind gusts topping 200 kph (124 mph). Heavy rain uprooted trees and ripped off roofs. This area included the area where our house is located, in Alvaiazere.

Damage to the Country

Across the Leiria District, winds tore through hillsides and valleys with great force. Trees which had stood for decades were lifted, twisted and laid flat. Roofs peeled back.

As the Leiria District is where our house is, we were worried about our house. We saw the photos of all the damage to the area, it looked like something you would see after a Caribbean hurricane. The area had no electricity, no phone or internet service for three weeks. We only see photos of the devastation.

Damage to our own property

We knew we had suffered damage to our own property. There is little you can do from such a distance.

Our house in Alvaiázere was not spared. Part of the window in our little house gave way. Blinds and rubble fell to the ground.

Several trees came down on the land. This included the total uprooting of a large walnut tree. This tree had weathered countless winters before this one. Seeing it on its side was sad, but many people had suffered a lot worse.

The chimney top crashed down into the roof, smashing tiles as it fell. Fortunately we were capable of getting someone to patch it as heavy rains came after the storm

Now visiting four weeks after the storm, we can see for ourselves the damage caused. We reached the outskirts of the town where our house is situated. There, we saw the total devastation. I have never seen so many trees uprooted. Everywhere trees were down, or bent over from the wind. No Poly tunnel was spared, plastic ripped from its frame. Trees which had blocked the road, cut to allow traffic to move. Nearly every house showing evidence of storm damage.

For us, the storm has set our build project back by three months. Our builders, like so many others, have been repairing their own homes or prioritizing those who live here permanently. When devastation is this widespread, triage becomes a community effort. You fix what must be fixed first. The Bomberios have worked endlessly with the community to try to get everything back on track.

After the Storm

After the storms came severe heavy rainfall which seemed to last about three weeks.

In our region, thousands of trees were down. Entire hillsides look thinner. Views have changed dramatically — openings where once there were trees. Even the view from our own house has opened up. Now whole landscapes look so different.

We are, in many ways, fortunate as we are insured. The damage to the roof and windows will be repaired. The paperwork now begins. Portugal is full of warmth and generosity. However, it is not known for speed when it comes to processing claims. So we wait. Patiently, we hope.

There’s something about seeing a landscape altered so dramatically that makes you reflect on scale. Human plans feel small against weather systems that can rearrange valleys overnight. Yet there is resilience here too.

We will rebuild the roof. The windows will be replaced. The project will resume. The hills of central Portugal will carry the mark of this storm for years to come. This is especially true here in the Alvaiázere.

And perhaps, in time, new saplings will root where large trees once stood.