Fundraiser set up for elderly residents in hurricane-struck Portuguese town

Luis De Almeida Roper, originally from Portugal and making Gibraltar his home in 2012, has started a GoFundMe for his home town, a little village called Regueira de Pontes, after it was devastated when Hurricane Kristin ripped through it last week.

The village, the city of Leiria and its surrounding villages, were victim to the hurricane in the early hours of last Wednesday morning.

“Most people were at home and in bed as the worst of the storm hit at 5am,” he told the Chronicle.

“This has destroyed many houses and buildings around the centre and neighbouring areas.”

The storm resulted in loss of water supplies, electricity and any form of communication. He has only been able to speak to one member of his family, who has told him about the damage but also reassured him that they were all okay.

“In Regueira de Pontes, where my mum lives, most of the population is elderly and many of them live alone,” he said.

“You can only imagine the terror they felt when winds of up to 200kph hit their homes and rooftops flew off their homes.”

With this in mind, he started a GoFundMe page to assist the most vulnerable elderly people who are in dire need of help.

“The recovery process will be a long and costly one and every little bit of fundraising will go a long way to help the community get back on its feet again,” he said.

“I'd like to thank everyone for any contribution that they may be able to give.”

To donate visit: https://gofund.me/fc3b2c7e4