[1][2] The rainfall was associated with an active cold front and an Atlantic low-pressure area that was over the Azores and moved northeastwards on 19 February 2010.

[5] The floods and mudslides were the result of an extreme weather event that, in some places, dropped more than double the monthly average of rainfall in a very short period.

[17] Sócrates and Interior Minister Rui Pereira planned a flight to the island to examine and evaluate the damages and to coordinate aid efforts with the local autonomous government of Alberto João Jardim.

[16] However, the Portuguese government declined to declare a state of emergency in the region, which would have made them eligible to obtain funds from the European Union, saying, “We don’t need anything from Brussels.

In spite of some access restrictions in the centre of Funchal and some other parts of the island, all services were soon fully functional and normal life was restored.

No tourist resorts were affected by the event, except for a few small hotels inland where some blocked roads caused access restrictions.

[21] On 7 March 2010, the Mota-Engil group announced that it would make an investment of €1.2 million to build 10 houses for those who were made homeless as a result of the floods.