The President of the Government highlighted today the fact that the passage of Hurricane Lorenzo caused no casualties. This is due to the sense of responsibility of each Azorean in facing this situation, but also due to the professionalism and dedication of all those involved in this operation.
 
“The safety of the people was our main concern. The fact that, as of now, there are no casualties is primarily due to the sense of responsibility of each Azorean in facing this ordeal," stated Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government spoke on the island of Flores, where he accompanied the passage of the hurricane during the early hours of Wednesday morning.
 
According to him, this is also due to the “professionalism, dedication and commitment of all those involved in the preparation and the most critical phase of the hurricane,” as was the case of volunteer firefighters, Civil Protection professionals, Regional Administration workers, Armed Forces and Security officials, Amateur Radio operators, and Media professionals, among many others.
 
“The fact that there are no casualties to report is largely due to their efforts. There is a lot of work to be done and the damages are significant, but we will do what the Azoreans have been doing for the past 600 years in the archipelago: rebuild and move forward," ensured Vasco Cordeiro.
 
Speaking on late Wednesday morning, the President of the Government stated that, regarding Flores, the destruction of Lajes Port “jeopardises fundamental aspects, such as the supply to the island of Flores,” and several families had to be rehoused.
 
“On Faial, there are situations of people evacuated from their homes that deserve our concern. As soon as possible, we will proceed immediately with the assessment of the safety conditions of these dwellings,” Vasco Cordeiro assured, stressing that, in the case of Pico, precautionary evacuations were also necessary.
 
“There are a number of areas that we will assess more accurately to determine the extent of the damages as soon as the weather conditions improve. We will start working right now to restore the normalcy for people who saw their dwellings hit by this storm as well as the regular operation of infrastructures," stated Vasco Cordeiro.
 
During the early hours of the morning, the President of the Government, who followed the evolution of the situation at the Santa Cruz das Flores Volunteer Fire Station, visited the Public Works personnel deployed to that island to reinforce the available human and material resources. He was also in permanent contact with regional secretaries who travelled to the remaining eight islands to follow the situation of Hurricane Lorenzo.