The U.S. Embassy in Lisbon cautions U.S. citizens that Category 2 Hurricane Ophelia is expected to make landfall near the Azorean islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel at approximately 12:00 p.m. on October 14, 2017. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere has issued an orange alert for wind and a yellow advisory for rough seas for the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel between 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 14 through 06:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 15. Expect extremely high winds, dangerous storm tides, heavy rainfall, and possible flooding to occur. The Portuguese Maritime Authority recommended reinforcing moored vessels and removing smaller boats from the ocean, especially on the islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel.
All U.S. citizens living in or traveling to the area should monitor local weather reports, follow directions from local officials, and take other appropriate actions as needed.
For further information about Hurricane Ophelia:
- http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?cone
- https://m.facebook.com/dra.ipma.pt/?locale2=pt_PT
- https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/ambiente/furacao-ophelia-a-995-quilometros-dos-acores-e-a-deslocar-se-em-direcao-ao-arquipelago_n1033327
All U.S. citizens living in or traveling to the area should monitor local weather reports, follow directions from local officials, and take other appropriate actions as needed.
For further information about security in Portugal:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Portugal’s Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Portugal, located at Avenida das Forças Armadas, in the neighborhood of Sete Rios near the Jardim Zoológico, at + (351) 21-770-2122, 08:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(351) 21-727-3300.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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