LISBON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's government on Thursday declared a state of calamity in areas most affected by Storm Kristin.
The Prime Minister's office announced the decision in a statement, adding that Prime Minister Luis Montenegro would visit storm-hit areas in the districts of Leiria and Coimbra.
Storm Kristin, which has battered the country since Wednesday, has caused six fatalities. The hardest-hit regions include Leiria, about 140 km north of Lisbon, Coimbra, roughly 195 km north of the capital, as well as the district of Santarem and Lisbon.
Between midnight Wednesday and Thursday morning, the storm has caused more than 190 incidents, most involving fallen trees and structures, road and railway line closures or restrictions. Electricity, water and telecommunications supplies were disrupted, with nearly 450,000 households left without power during the storm.
Portuguese National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection raised the alert to level four, the maximum, along the entire coastline between Viana do Castelo, approximately 380 km north of Lisbon, and Setubal, 50 km south of the capital.
Montenegro said the storm's impact would "be very costly, more than expected," adding that he had already contacted the European Commission to seek financial support for the populations most affected by Storm Kristin. ■
