714
Freitas and Dias
1941 windstorm effects on the Portuguese Coast. What lessons for the
future?
Joana Gaspar de Freitas†, João Alveirinho Dias ‡
†IELT, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e
Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa,
Av. de Berna, 26 – C, 1069-061 Lisbon,
Portugal
[email protected]
‡ CIMA, Universidade do Algarve,
Edifício 7, Campus de Gambelas, 8005139 Faro, Portugal
www.cerf-jcr.org
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
Freitas, J.G., and Dias, J.A., 2013. 1941 windstorm effects on the Portuguese Coast. What lessons for the future? In:
Conley, D.C., Masselink, G., Russell, P.E. and O’Hare, T.J. (eds.), Proceedings 12th International Coastal Symposium
(Plymouth, England), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, pp. 714-719, ISSN 0749-0208.
www.JCRonline.org
On February 15, 1941, the Iberian Peninsula was struck by a devastating windstorm. Human and material losses were
significant. Coastal areas were among the most affected. Storm surge caused by strong wind and low atmospheric
pressures favoured overwash occurrence. Unlike other past catastrophic events, there is abundant information on the
1941 windstorm. Historical sources – newspapers, survivor’s testimonies and official institutions reports - allowed us to
realize its impact on territory and on populations. Until today 1941 phenomenon is still the biggest known storm.
However, what happened then is almost forgotten. But, it can happen again. Sesimbra and Ria Formosa coastal areas
are excellent case studies to understand what happened on the windstorm day and to discuss what could happen if an
event like this reaches those regions again. The analysed data lead to the conclusion that the consequences would be
even more devastating. First, because the current urbanization level is much higher. Second, Sesimbra and Ria Formosa
are as vulnerable (or even more) to extreme events as they were in 1941. Third, its inhabitants have no "risk memory"
and therefore have no concept of the danger inherent to seashore occupation. Preserving the memory of such events can
be a way of preparing people for new disasters and to get authorities to take concrete measures to mitigate their effects.
ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Extreme events, overwashes, risk memory, preventive planning.
INTRODUCTION
“There’s no memory of an event like this...”. This perplexity
expression is often used in written and oral narratives describing
natural phenomena that strike western society. The media are
prodigal in highlighting the “exceptional nature” of natural
disasters, treating them as unique and unprecedented events.
However, everything is quickly forgotten as soon as
reconstruction begins. Careful observation of the past gives us a
different perspective. Analysis over time shows that extreme
events are recurrent. History also shows that populations living in
vulnerable areas used to transmit “risk memories” from generation
to generation. This allowed them to keep alert and ready to act
whenever new catastrophic phenomena occurred. Those memories
were undervalued with science development and the belief in
human capacity to control natural phenomena using technology.
On February 15-16, 1941 a strong windstorm (usually referred
as the 1941 cyclone) hit Iberian Peninsula. Wind and storm surge
were responsible for shipwrecks, coastal villages flooding and
major coastal morphological modifications. Human casualties and
property damages were high. Today few remember the 1941
windstorm. Nevertheless, this event is an excellent case study for
the assessment of impacts on coastal zones in case similar
phenomena occur and to create prevention plans to minimize their
effects. The 1941 windstorm was the XX century biggest storm on
the Portuguese coast – such meteorological “set-up” has not been
repeated till today. Given the circumstances at the time, there are
few physical parameters to characterize the strength of the storm.
____________________
DOI: 10.2112/SI65-121. Received 30, November 2012; accepted 28,
February 2013.
© Coastal Education & Research Foundation 2013
«There are a number of windspeed measurements reported from
the storm, but these readings should be treated with some caution.
windspeed recorders were not necessarily calibrated, situated at
standard elevations (...) as they would be today. Also it is not clear
which observations were actually recorded rather than simply
being observed on a flickering anemometer» (Muir-Wood, 2011).
The best indicator we have is atmospheric pressure that went
down to values around 950 hPa, which caused strong storm surge.
However unlike other past events for which historical sources are
scarce, for this phenomenon there is abundant qualitative
information. There are detailed descriptions of damage, affected
populations and levels of water progression on coastal villages.
Taking in account the existing records, the aim of this work is: (1)
to verify windstorm effects in two specific coastal areas –
Sesimbra and Ria Formosa; (2) to analyse the consequences of a
similar event nowadays in the locations mentioned; (3) to show
the need of developing preventions plans for coastal areas based
on historical information about extreme events on the past; (4) to
focus on the relevancy of recovering a “cultural memory” about
natural disasters, so that coastal populations can be more
conscious about future sea level rise risks, preparing them for a
changing coast.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
The 15-16 February 1941 windstorm had, due to its intensity,
serious consequences on the Iberian Peninsula. Although
numerous papers referred to it there are few specific studies on the
subject (e.g., Cereceda, 1941; Pita, 1941; Rubio, 2001; MuirWood, 2011). In Portugal there are no scientific articles about the
windstorm and its local impacts.
Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, 2013
1941 windstorm effects on the Portuguese Coast. What lessons for the future?
Rubio (2001) reconstructed 1941 cyclone weather conditions,
warning, however, for the existing data scarcity. Post-civil war
Spain found itself quite isolated and without access to other
information beyond that obtained in its own territory. In Lisbon,
Central Meteorological Observatory recorded at the storm’s peak a
minimum pressure of 950hPa and a wind speed of 127km per hour
(O Século, 16-02-1941). At Serra do Pilar (Oporto) the
anemometer registered, before breaking down, a wind gust speed
of 167km per hour (Instituto de Meteorologia, 2008). According
to the Portuguese Army Meteorological Services, night charts, on
15th eve, showed a cyclone in formation between Azores and the
Iberian Peninsula. However it was impossible to calculate its
travel speed and intensity (O Século, 16-02-1941). During World
War II there were few ships circulating in the Atlantic and
therefore it was difficult to obtain meteorological data, previously
provided by vessels sailing between Europe and America.
To analyse windstorm consequences over the territory and its
people, especially in coastal zones, historical sources have been
used, namely national and local press, official reports and
collected oral testimonies. Through the critical analysis of the
available documentation - some still unpublished – we tried to
understand the windstorm impacts on Sesimbra and on Ria
Formosa barrier islands. In the absence of quantitative information
on overwash run-up qualitative data were used. Since this kind of
information always implies some subjectivity, there has been an
effort to cross and to diversify the used sources, in order to give
more credibility to testimonies, avoid errors, eliminate
exaggerations and clarify imperceptible issues (Taborda, 2006).
This approach and methodology are often used in the Historical
Climatology, when studying a time prior to instrumental
meteorology onset (Pfister et al., 2010).
RESULTS
Windstorm effects in Portugal and Spain
Weather conditions the days before the windstorm were quite
bad. Strong winds and heavy rain caused some damage on
Algarve’s coast, Lisbon and its surroundings (O Século, 15-021941; Diário de Notícias, 15-02-1941). So when the windstorm
began the soil was already water saturated and beaches had natural
defences strongly weakened.
On 15 February 1941, Lisbon (Figure 1, n.º 8) press gave news
of the terrible storm that has devastating the capital. Strong wind
and torrential rain began early in the morning. During the day the
wind became stronger. Roofs, windows, skylights and trees were
pulled out. Telephone and telegraph communications broke down.
Debris piled up on the streets. In the Tagus estuary, cyclone’s
peak coincided with high tide: waters climbed the protection walls
and flooded part of down town. Which is characterized by lowlying landfills built in the past two millennia. All this area was
715
serious hit by the earthquake and tsunami of 1755 and then rebuilt
as part of the new city. At Terreiro do Paço waves reached the
eastern tower, over 125 meters from river bank. The wharf
columns were razed by an adrift ship. In the port area workshops
and warehouses were destroyed, goods and tools stored were lost.
At Cais do Sodré dozens of boats gathered there left the moorings
and smashed up against each other. The steam boats station was
invaded by the water and people forced to take refuge in the upper
floors. Several ships sank. According to the O Século, Tagus river
waves reached twenty meters high (16-02-1941). However, it was
impossible to verify the reliability of this information in other
sources. The railway traffic between Lisbon and Cascais (Figure
1, n.º 7) was interrupted. As the train line went along the beach in
the top of a small cliff some meters height, the waves rose the
embankment and destroyed part of the retaining wall damaging it.
Throughout that waterfront there were numerous damages:
flooded houses, boats carried by sea, ancient trees uprooted. Water
invaded the lower part of Cascais, entering shops and houses,
destroying walls and roads (Diário de Notícias, 15-02-1941, 1602-1941).
On February 17, Diário de Notícias announced that windstorm
effects reached disaster proportions. 78 dead victims and dozens
injured were accounted. Damages were huge. Coastal towns were
the most affected as they not only suffered with the wind, but they
were also hit by overwashes. For instance, in Oporto (Figure 1, n.º
3) there were dead and wounded, stranded ships and boats lost.
Viana do Castelo (Figure 1, n.º 1) port suffered several damages.
In Leixões (Figure 1, n.º 2) port vessels disappeared with their
crews. In the central coast of Portugal, in Ria de Aveiro, Costa
Nova and S. Jacinto (Figure 1, n.º 4) water invaded fishermen's
houses. Cod fishing fleet moored in Gafanha stranded ashore. All
local salt production was lost. In Figueira da Foz (Figure 1, n.º 5)
six fishermen died in a shipwreck. In Peniche (Figure 1, n.º 6)
main streets were invaded by water and it was necessary to
evacuate the fishermen neighbourhood (Diário de Notícias, 17-021941). (O Século, 19-02-1941, 20-02-1941).
From Portugal the storm passed to the north of Spain, reaching
Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country between the
15 night and the morning of 16. Here too, the losses were
significant: homes destroyed, trees uprooted, vessels lost. The
most serious situations have occurred in Santander, where damage
to a power line caused a fire that destroyed part of the city; and in
Guipuzcoa, where a passenger train fell while crossing a bridge,
due to strong wind gusts (Rubio, 2001; Muir-Wood, 2011).
Sesimbra and Ria Formosa cases
Two portuguese coastal areas are worth mentioning as a result
of the 1941 windstorm impact. Sesimbra (Figure 1, n.º 9) and the
Ria Formosa barrier islands (Figure 1, n.º 10) were hit hard by the
strong wind and the waves.
Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, 2013
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Freitas and Dias
buildings doors and windows, then hit Bombaldes Square (Figure
2) and the nearby streets, covering everything with sand.
Fishermen tried to rescue boats that were being taken by the
waves. Some died or were injured in this attempt. According to
local fire department 2.º Commander’s report (Lopes, 1941), at 15
hours, the barometer reached 962hPa. Strong wind caused the
collapse of part of the firehouse. In just a few hours, the sea took
or destroyed support walls, houses, railings, fences, ramps, fishing
nets and boats (O Século, 18-02-1941). At 17 hours, tide began to
go down and the sea retreated gradually.
Next day the beach was unrecognizable (Figure 3). The sea had
taken most of the sand - only in 1949 was it completely restored
(Santos, 2000) - digging Santiago Fortress foundations (Figure 2),
leaving a space underneath it where a man could stand (Sesimbra
Acontece, 2011).
Ria Formosa
Figure 2. Sesimbra: blue arrows show most affected areas by the
overwashes. (Aerofotogrametric plant of Sesimbra, 1941,
Biblioteca e Arquivo Histórico do Ministério das Obras Públicas).
Sesimbra
Situated on the Setúbal peninsula southern slope, south of
Lisbon, Sesimbra bay offers, by its shape and coast orientation, an
excellent shelter to vessels, especially from north and northeast
winds. Its geographical location and the abundance of fish in the
nearby sea made this village an important fishing centre, since its
origins in the XII century. According to the press, on the
windstorm day, «the angry sea invaded the lower part of the
village (Figure 2), demolished numerous homes and claimed some
lives. The eastern part of the village was completely devastated.
The seawall that served as a shelter for fishermen disappeared.
More than 20 boats were destroyed and 300 were taken by the sea.
A large amount of fishing equipment was lost» (Diário de
Notícias, 18-02-1941). António Costa Lopes (1985), who
collected oral testimonies from that day, says that the night before
fishermen feeling bad weather approach put their boats ashore, in
the village streets. On the 15th morning low tide was at nine
o'clock and the waves already reached the beach seawall (Figure
3), when usually they were at a distance of 40meters. Men knew
that with the rising tide the situation would get worse. At noon
waves climbed the seawall, water came through waterfront
Figure 3. Sesimbra after the windstorm. View of the seawall
and the marginal buildings (Foto by João Baptista de Gouveia,
Postcard edited by Sesimbra Municipality, 1991).
Ria Formosa barrier islands are a low lying sandy islands some
kilometres off the Algarve central and eastern coast, south of
Portugal. This very dynamic system is currently composed of five
islands and two peninsulas, separated by six tidal inlets (e.g., Dias
et al., 2004; Ceia, 2009) (Figure 4). Islands width varies between
tens of meters (e.g., Ancão and Cacela) until more than 1.3 km
(Culatra island SW extreme) and are characterized by dune fields
sometimes higher than 25 meters (Dias, 1088). Human occupation
in these islands is quite recent from a historical point of view. This
is due to the islands characteristics: inlets migration from W to E,
at rates sometimes exceeding 100m/year, cause erosion at the
western ends of the islands and accretion of its eastern parts. This
means that the islands are permanently destroying and
constructing themselves. Overwashes are also frequent here,
especially during storms. On the other hand until the eighteenth
century the islands were exposure to pirate’s attacks, which
Figure 1. Portugal´s map. Some of the towns affected by the
cyclone. Numbered places are referenced in the text
(Googlemaps).
Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, 2013
1941 windstorm effects on the Portuguese Coast. What lessons for the future?
717
1941 windstorm again? What would happen?
Figure 4. Ria Formosa barrier-islands. Black arrows show fishing
camps destroyed by overwashes. New inlets open during the
cyclone are indicated by grey arrows (Dias, 1988).
proliferated on the portuguese coast. These factors prevented the
islands occupancy on a regular and permanent basis, but they were
seasonally used as basis for tuna and sardine fishing. It was only
in the nineteenth century that the first inhabitants settled in some
of the islands in a permanent basis. In 1941 the islands occupation
was still incipient, its inhabitants devoted mainly to fishing and
exploitation of the lagoon resources (Bernardo et al., 2003).
On the windstorm day, Culatra village (at the island with the
same name) and Praia de Faro (Ancão Peninsula) (Figure 4) were
invaded by water. The existing houses were destroyed and all its
contents taken by the sea. About 100 people stood for twelve
hours without food and water before being rescued (Diário de
Notícias, 17/02/1941). According to O Século (19-02-1941, 2102-1941) the whole tuna fishing camp of Cape Santa Maria
(Barreta Island) disappeared, swallowed up by the waves. At
Ancão Peninsula a new inlet was opened. In the system’s eastern
sector, the sea created a new huge inlet (almost 1000 meters wide)
completely destroying Cabanas island. This significant change in
the island morphology triggered the subsequent colmatation of
Tavira artificial inlet (opened in 1927) and the disappearance of
the internal canal that ran parallel to the island (Direcção dos
Serviços de Obras, 1975). Despite such large geomorphological
changes on the islands and the disappearance of three fishing
camps, there were no casualties, only material damage. The
Algarve peripheral position in the country, the small population of
the islands, the non-existence of large urban centres, the low social
level of the affected people (fishermen) as well as the
communication difficulties during II World War may explain the
scarcity of information about the impact of this event on Ria
Formosa.
DISCUSSION
At damage level the 1941 windstorm was the greatest disaster that
struck Iberian Peninsula in 200 years (Muir-Wood, 2011). Rubio
(2001) states that those exceptional conditions were not repeated
so far. However, others storm have reached the Peninsula with
significant impacts (e.g. December 1978, Lothar and Martin,
1999). Historical record also shows that in the past there have
been similar events (Taborda, 2006; Pfister et al., 2010; Garnier et
al., 2010). Therefore, major storms cannot be considered unique,
but rather should be viewed as natural phenomena which are
repeated at certain intervals or at unknown conditions. Thus, it
makes perfect sense to ask: what would happen today in Sesimbra
and Ria Formosa, if an event like the 1941 one happens again?
Sesimbra has currently a harbour that did not exist when the
cyclone occurred. Fishermen boats are now better protected than
then. However, regarding village exposure to south/southeast
storm effects there is no change. 1941 seawall was rebuilt,
strengthened and extended but as before it is unable to defend the
village against exceptional storm surge episodes. For example,
during 1978 and 1981/82 storm surges reached maximum values
ranging between 0.4m and 0.9m and 0.4m and 1.2m, respectively.
This favoured marine overwash responsible for significant damage
(Taborda et al. 1992). From 1960s onwards, Sesimbra became an
important seaside tourism centre: the village seafront was
reconverted, fishing companies stores, workshops and factories
have been replaced by residential buildings, hotels and
commercial areas. In recent years, interventions at the refuge
harbour and the jetties construction to prevent it from silting up
have led to a decrease in the volume of sand on the beaches in
front of Sesimbra, near the seawall (Santos, 2000). So even though
bad weather warnings could lead people to look for safer areas,
material damage would be much higher than in 1941, given that
there has been massive investment in the village urban
development and significant changes in the beach dynamic
equilibrium.
By their nature, Ria Formosa barrier islands are incompatible
with an intense and permanent occupation. However, since the
1960s, they become quite sought for beach tourism and leisure.
Ancão Peninsula particularly became a seaside resort with a large
number of houses (many illegal), roads, car parks, campsites,
hotels and restaurants. In the other islands occupation is much less
intense. Nevertheless, there are some small villages Culatra, Farol
e Hangares (Culatra), Armona (Armona). The progressive
urbanization and consequent increasing of human pressure on
these islands have contributed to weaken wide areas and induce
negative impacts on the entire system. Coastal engineering works Vilamoura marina piers, Quarteira groynes field and its fishing
harbour jetties, and Faro-Olhão artificial inlet jetties - had
significant impacts in reducing sediment supply to the down-drift
coast. Also it should be mentioned the dune fields destruction by
structures building and people walking. All these factors have
been critical for barrier islands vulnerability amplification to
overwashes (Dias et al., 2004; Ceia, 2009). During the 1941 event
three small fishing villages were severely damaged and two new
inlets were opened in the system. In 1978, during February/March
storms, less intense than the previous, waves climbed Ancão
Peninsula dunes and passed on to the lagoon (this is not
infrequent). The sea also took sand from the foundations of some
houses and backyards. Losses were not significant, but it was a
warning that in a worst scenario there is real danger of a new inlet
opening in the middle of the urbanized area (Daveau et al., 1978).
Currently Praia de Faro is considered Ria Formosa’s most
vulnerable area. The urban nucleus, limited to a narrow strip of
land with less than 100 meters between the ocean and the lagoon,
is in a high risk situation. «Disaster odds increases from year to
year, considering the rise in mean sea level and the hypothesis of a
large storm match full spring tide» (Ceia, 2009).
In short, in both settings, two effects are combined today which
worsen the effect of a storm. More assets are now exposed (hotels,
commercial areas and residences) and coastal engineering works
undertaken for other reasons weaken natural coastal defences
against storms. As a consequence, bad weather warning available
today will probably save human lives but economic losses will be
much worse than in 1941.
Risk memories
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Freitas and Dias
Given the best knowledge we have today of NAO (North
Atlantic Oscillation) and atmosphere behaviour it is supposed that
we are better prepared for a storm as severe as the one of 1941.
However, at meteorological level it is still difficult to characterize
the micro and mesoscale phenomena and quantify the destructive
potential of certain events. Knowing in advance where and when
they may arise is the biggest challenge of meteorological science
(Rubio, 2001). On the other hand, the construction of protection
works and confidence in human being technical capacities has
perverse consequences. It creates a false sense of security among
people who are convinced that the dams, dikes, groynes and jetties
will be enough to stop flooding. On the coast as well as in river
valleys, communities have lost the memory of the great floods and
frequent overwashes. When episodes of great intensity occur
populations are not prepared to deal with them. Examples of this
are the terrible consequences of Katrina (USA, 2005), Xynthia
(France, 2010) and the recent events in the United States of
America (November 2012).
"There is no memory of such a great cataclysm" (O
Cezimbrense, 23-02-1941). Expressions like this are frequently
used by the press to describe a particular phenomenon and its
impacts on a specific territory and population. In the days
following the incident newspapers explore in detail the human
drama. Weeks later, after the reconstruction starts and when life
returns to normal, everything tends to be progressively forgotten.
Media and contemporary society live mainly in the present.
Sociological modifications occurred in recent decades are
important to understand changes in "risk perception" in coastal
areas. Until mid-twentieth century, in coastal villages the
inhabitants lived daily with a certain harmony with sea and natural
forces. But these fishing communities become gradually
"urbanized" and lost their special contact with the sea. Currently,
in many of these villages, fishing is no longer the main activity,
but rather tertiary activities connected with tourism and trade.
More than that, today most of coastal population have no roots
there, its inhabitants came from other places and consequently
have neither "memories" of this territory or sensitivity to the risks
inherent to its occupation. But it was not always so...
In Sesimbra, fishermen, on the cyclone eve, did what they
always do when they realized that the weather conditions were
getting worse, they pulled their boats to shore, placing them far
away from the waves. It was not enough to save them on February
15th, but many other times this attitude ensured their property
safeguarding. In other places in the Portuguese coast it is known
that fishermen moved their homes - the “palheiros” – away from
the sea as a precaution during winter storms. People who lived
along Douro, Mondego, Tagus and Guadiana rivers knew the
signs of rising waters and installed "flood marks" on buildings to
signal flooding maximum limit. In other countries there are similar
examples: the lives of North Sea communities were shaped by the
danger resulting from levees rupture. A whole "culture of disaster"
was developed so that their maintenance would not be forgotten.
Pfister (2011) offers several examples of how different people
have learned to live with the natural disasters that most affected
their land. After Xynthia storm impact in France, a
multidisciplinary team analysed historical record searching for
other great natural phenomena (Garnier et al., 2010). There were
identified several large storms and accurately localized the most
affected regions by this type of event. It was also found that
communities living in these areas - conscious of their vulnerability
- had developed a "memory risk", that included practical action
during disasters and land management measures to minimize their
impacts. Thus, for example, they knew the places that usually
were not submerged and took shelter therein, they had floods
maximum limit marks and built their houses in seafront second
line, behind forested dunes (Garnier et al., 2010). In this context,
traditional wisdom, transmitted orally from generation to
generation, emerges as a knowledge repository relevant to
community’s survival, teaching them to fight against
environmental aggressions with the means at their disposal
(Guimarães et al., 2004). Preserving the memory of certain events,
warning people about climate unpredictability, providing
communities with mental and practical protection tools against the
weather, this seems to have been the role of verses, proverbs and
stories that persisted in traditional literature. The development of
technical and technological mankind capacity seems to have made
them obsolete. But is that so?
It is said in the Azores islands (a Portuguese archipelago
between America and Europe): "where the sea and the river
arrived once, again it will reach”. Garnier and his team (2010)
historical research show the importance of traditional knowledge
for natural phenomena interpretation and to know how to act when
they happen. The vulnerability of certain areas to the same natural
phenomena led Garnier et al. (2010) to suggest the recovery of
communities "risk memories" as a preventive measure, using
history to recuperate their cultural heritage regarding survival.
This proposal is not unreasonable if it is taken into account that
memory is essential for the development of adaptation strategies.
According to Maulshagen (2009) «all preventive strategies are
based on the expectations generated by repeated experiences.
Repetition therefore becomes a key concept in historical research
on learning from disasters». Therefore, while each storm is
considered unique and unrepeatable one can hardly assimilate the
acquired knowledge and use that experience in future events
prevention. That is why it is important not to forget them!
Sesimbra Municipality recently promoted a public evocation of
February 15, 1941 events on that village. In the "collective
memory" of the community the cyclone is still present, because
some of those who lived it are still alive. The solidarity generated
after the storm and the population resilience to tragedy still links
Sesimbra inhabitants and represents one of the strongest aspects of
local identity. However, on a practical level, regarding the
implementation of preventive measures in case of new catastrophe
nothing was done. In Ria Formosa case, where the danger is even
greater, cyclone memory is practically lost. People who live on
Ancão Peninsula – from nearby towns – face all winters the threat
that sea may suddenly take their houses. They believe that the
authorities and technicians - building another jettie or artificially
feeding the beach with sand - will be able to keep controlling the
problem. However it is clear that if another storm like 1941
cyclone repeat itself measures taken by authorities in recent years
will not be enough.
CONCLUSION
According SIAM Project data - which had as purpose to analyse
the impact of climate change in Portugal - sea level rise associated
with anthropogenic pressures will have serious consequences in
shoreline retreat. Among the most vulnerable areas is Ria
Formosa coastal sector (Andrade et al., 2002). In fact, «the main
coastal lagoon areas in Portugal (Ria de Aveiro and Ria Formosa)
are facing erosion on the ocean front and silting up on tidal
channels and inner areas. A transgressive behaviour with inland
displacement of barrier islands and peninsulas» (Ferreira et al.,
2008) in press). However, there are no institutional or technical
plans to mitigate the rising sea level effects in urban areas and
among the population. This is an undervalued risk given that it is
almost imperceptible and has long term effects. Authorities are
much more concerned with coastal erosion impacts caused by
Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, 2013
1941 windstorm effects on the Portuguese Coast. What lessons for the future?
storm surge and sediment supply reduction to the seashore. These
problems are been solved with emergency interventions, by
groyne building and artificial beach feeding. Mean sea level rise
is, however, irreversible and its effects on societies can only be
mitigated if the necessary measures are taken.
The 1941 windstorm effects in the portuguese coast are an
excellent case study to understand the future consequences of
events like this. The historical information about this storm is
sufficiently abundant to assess its impacts on the territory and on
populations. The deep geomorphological changes caused by the
cyclone in the Ria Formosa and the human and material losses
recorded in Sesimbra show that these phenomena cannot be
ignored or forgotten. The historical study of extreme weather
phenomena (storms, droughts, floods), through its inventory and
characterization, may allow improve knowledge about these
events and get new data on its intensity and frequency. The study
of the impact of these extremes situations on populations may also
have its usefulness. O'Riordan et al. (2006), in a work report on
new forms of sustainable governance for coastal areas, concluded
that the key to a more effective management of this territory
depended on the awareness – by the public and authorities - that
we must learn to live with a changing coastline. Science can
provide technical solutions for adaptation, but it must be society to
implement them and this is a complex process. The more so
because what is required is the adoption of preventive and
adaptive measure in relation to phenomena that have not yet
occurred and that are too distant from people’s current reality
(Brown et al., 2005). In this context, History can play an
important role through the recovery of “risk memories”, looking in
the past the lived experience of coastal populations at the
occurrence of extreme events. Their survival strategies may be
relevant to prepare future plans for safeguarding persons and
property. Likewise, the development of a risk perception based on
past events - major storms, tsunamis, intense coastal erosion - at
the local level may be more effective among the communities than
catastrophic scientific discourses, based on forecasts and models
virtually unintelligible to the ordinary citizen.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Joana Gaspar de Freitas work is supported by National Funds
through FCT - Science and Technology Foundation – under the
project PEst-OE/ELT/UI0657/2011 and the Post-Doctoral
Fellowship SFRH/BPD/70384/2010.
We would like to thank to João Augusto Aldeia, director of the
local newspaper O Sesimbrense, and Henrique Rodrigues from the
Sesimbra Municipality, Cultural, Museums and Heritage Division,
for the material they send us about Sesimbra.
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Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, 2013