20% of Marinha Grande Still Dark After Storms, Glassmakers Count Losses

The Marinha Grande Municipal Assembly has formally rebuked electric-grid operator E-Redes over protracted outages, a standoff that is still leaving about 1 in 5 households in the glass-making hub without power and slowing the region’s economic restart.

Why This Matters

• 4,400 customers – roughly 19% of the municipality – remain in the dark, hampering heating, cooking and online work.

• 95% of local factories suffered damage; the famous glass sector warns that each extra day offline costs "tens of thousands" in export orders.

• Schools are reopening in waves, but 20 transformer stations are still dead, meaning classes may again be suspended if repairs slip.

• Residents can file loss claims and emergency aid at a new help desk in the city hall; 2,100 requests are already logged.

Anatomy of the Blackout

Three Atlantic storms – Kristin, Leonardo and Marta – barrelled through central Portugal between late January and early February, toppling pylons and ripping out 5,000 km of cable across Leiria district. In Marinha Grande the network is mostly overhead; when poles snapped, entire streets lost supply. While crews re-energised half the town by 3 February, progress stalled and even back-tracked. On 8 February the share of powerless customers climbed back to 27%, prompting the mayor, Paulo Vicente, to call the situation "critical and unacceptable".

The Bottlenecks at E-Redes

• Extensive structural damage: hundreds of poles and every third low-voltage line need replacing.

• Exposed conductors and hanging wires make repair zones unsafe until the army clears debris.

• Intermittent rain and gusts repeatedly forced technicians to halt work at height.

• Local officials complain of "no clear restoration schedule", eroding public trust.

E-Redes counters that 22 mobile generators are keeping essential services – the hospital, water pumps, traffic lights – online and that an additional 40 contractors will arrive this week.

Response on the Ground

The blackout has turned parts of the industrial town into an operations base:

• 52 Army engineers and 60 Navy sailors clear roads and lift poles.

• 190 PSP officers handle traffic around dead streetlights, while GNR units patrol rural pockets left in total darkness.

• Volunteer welders fix factory roofs; student groups distribute hot meals.

• For emotional fallout, severe cases are fast-tracked to the Projeto Manicómio for free counselling.

What This Means for Residents

Electricity may flicker for several more days. Keep phones charged at public hubs (fire stations, parish halls) and store medicine that needs refrigeration in the municipal cold-chain container at the sports complex. To claim compensation for spoiled food or damaged appliances:

Photograph the items and note the serial numbers.

Submit the evidence via balcaoapoio.cm-mgrand.pt within 30 days.

Expect E-Redes to reply within 15 working days; unresolved cases can escalate to ERSE, the national energy regulator.

Households in prolonged outage zones can request a portable heater and LED lantern kit from the civil-protection warehouse while stocks last.

Economic Ripple Effect

The iconic glass furnaces, which must run 24/7, are the hardest hit. AIVE, the packaging-glass association, warns that repeated shutdowns risk hairline cracks in kilns that cost €3 M each to rebuild. Supermarkets report supply gaps in locally bottled sauces and craft beer now produced at half capacity.

Support on offer:

• €2.5 B calamity fund: firms can apply for wage support ("simplified lay-off") and tax deferrals until April.

• Interest-free credit lines via Banco de Fomento to replace machinery.

• Retail chains such as Pingo Doce and Intermarché are pre-paying regional suppliers to inject liquidity.

Can It Be Prevented Next Time?

The Portugal Ministry of Environment & Energy says only 20% of the national grid is underground, urging a decade-long push to bury lines in storm-prone corridors. REN has budgeted €550 M for distribution upgrades by 2025, but none is earmarked specifically for Marinha Grande yet. Local lawmakers demand a funded pilot to trial underground cabling along the IC1 industrial belt before winter 2026.

How to Get Help or Information

• Outage map & ETA: e-redes.pt/avarias

• Municipal hotline (24/7): +351 244 573 300

• Psychological assistance: email manicomio@cm-mgrand.pt

• Business support desk: acimg.pt/recuperar

Residents who need shelter can still use the civil-protection tents at the Vieira de Leiria sports ground. Bring ID and, if possible, a small torch – generators there switch off at midnight to save fuel.