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02/22/2010

The population of Madeira had never seen this kind of storm: one month's worth of rain fell on the island in just eight hours on Saturday. Flash floods swept away people, houses and vehicles on the Portuguese island. At least 42 people died and more than 120 were injured after the torrent of muddy water swamped buildings and demolished homes. Emergency crews are continuing their search for at least four missing people and officials warn there could be further victims in areas cut off from the rescue teams.

Over 400 vehicles, including bulldozers and trucks, are involved in the rescue effort. In the capital Funchal, rescue crews are digging out a shopping mall's mud-filled underground parking lot where officials fear more bodies could be found. Several major roads remain blocked by boulders, mud and trees that were dislodged by the flash floods. Winds exceeding 100 kilometers (60 miles) an hour and high seas have also hampered the rescue efforts. The mountainous area in the center of the island has been particulary difficult to reach for emergency workers.

A medical team with divers and rescue experts arrived Sunday aboard a military transport plane and a Portuguese Navy frigate was due to arrived on Monday bringing troops to help with the clean up. Madeira, a popular holiday destination with a population of around 250,000, is just over 480 kilometers (300 miles) off the coast of Africa and around 900 kilometers (560 miles) south of Portugal.

The head of Madeira's regional government, Alberto Jaoa Jardim, is looking to the European Union for aid and held talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosso on Saturday. Neighboring Spain and its Canary Islands have also offered to send aid.

Many telephone and power lines were torn down during the flooding. However, Portuguese Telecom said that 85 percent of cellular and fixed-line capacity had been restored by late Sunday.

Schools are expected to stay closed for the next few days and residents have been advised to stay home. The Portuguese government is to hold a special cabinet meeting Monday and is expected to announce three days of mourning.