Standing With Businesses After Storm Kristin

Storm Kristin hit the country during the night of January 27 to 28, and mainly affected the districts of Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Portalegre, Santarém, and Setúbal. The state of emergency has been extended until February 8, 2026, and now also applies to other cities, while all previously decided emergency measures and effects still apply.

Storm Kristin has had a deep impact on many lives. Beyond the visible damage, it has brought uncertainty, stress and difficult moments for individuals who suddenly found their daily routines disrupted. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. Moments like these remind us how important understanding and support truly are.

From Personal Impact to Professional challenges

For many the consequences of Storm Kristin extend beyond the personal sphere and into professional life as well. Business owners and employees are facing challenges such as damaged properties, financial uncertainty and put operations on pause. It is not only buildings or numbers but also impacts people directly.

We understand how difficult it can be to balance personal recovery and trying to keep your business running or rebuilding what is lost.

For businesses, even a short interruption can have lasting effects. And, acknowledging this reality is very important. Recovery takes time, clarity and the right kind of support.

Support Measures in place

In response to Storm Kristin, public support measures have been introduced to help address the consequences of the storm. These are designed to support recovery effors and help restoring economic activity, including support for affected businesses.

Key measures include:

• Support for employment and training such as financial incentives to help businesses retain jobs, and acces to training and qualification programs to support economic activity
• Benefit from temporary exemptions or reductions in social security contributions
• Dedicated credit lines have been made available through the Portugese Development Bank to support liquidity, recovery, and reconstruction, helping businesses address immediate financial needs and invest in rebuilding
• Funding has been allocated to support local authorities, infrastructure, and key sectors such as agriculture, alongside the creation of a dedicated mission structure to coordinate reconstruction efforts and making sure that support reaches affected territories efficiently

We encourage business owners to seek reliable information and explore which measures may be relevant to their situation, as support plays an important role in the recovering process.

These measures can be found on the website of the government.

Our message to businesses

Parakar is fully available to support and collaborate on all required filings and administrative processes for impacted businesses. We understand that every situation is different and that recovery does not follow a fixed timeline. Whether a business needs more space, guidance or simply a conversation to reflect on the next steps, we are here to stand alongside the businesses. Sometimes knowing that you are not facing these challenges alone, can already make a difference.

If you would like to connect or reflect on how to move forward, we are always open to that conversation.

Looking forward

Storm Kristin has shown us how suddenly circumstances can change, but it also highlighted the resilience and strength of individuals, businesses and communities. Recovery may take a long time, but by working together, patience and support it is possible to move forward.

Our thoughts remain with everyone affected, personally and professionally. We wish you strength, stability and clarity in the period ahead.