Heavy rains force 3, 000 people to leave Coimbra

In the northern part of Portugal, heavy showers hit rural areas that were already battered by a string of storms. The new rain has threatened the levees around Coimbra, a city famous for its medieval walls and university. Because of this danger, local officials moved about 3, 000 residents to safer places. The country has been in trouble since late January. Storms knocked roofs off houses, flooded towns and left many people without power for days. The death toll has reached at least 15, including some who died indirectly from the weather. The latest rain came from an atmospheric river – a long channel of moist air that carries huge amounts of water vapor. This phenomenon dumped extra water on the north, making the situation worse.Coimbra’s city wall, which sits on a hill and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, collapsed in one spot. The collapse blocked a road below and forced the city market to close. Police are still checking homes and moving people to shelters. A regional civil protection officer warned that the Aguieira dam, about 35 km northeast of Coimbra, could overflow. If it does, the levees might fail and flooding could spread further. The prime minister was scheduled to visit Coimbra to help with the emergency response. The interior minister had resigned earlier after criticism that the government was slow in dealing with the previous storm, Kristin. Elsewhere in central Portugal, near Lisbon, authorities evacuated the village of Porto Brandão because of landslide risk. About 30 people were moved from homes after a landslide hit the nearby beach area of Caparica.