Hanna affects homes and roads as 18 Azores flights are cancelled

Post-tropical depression Hanna affected homes and roads on Faial and Santa Maria and disrupted air travel in the Azores. Reported incidents included flooding, landslides and blocked roads, prompting response teams to deal with the effects of the rain.

On Faial, the Regional Civil Protection Service reported two flooding incidents on Friday. According to RTP Açores, Faial received more rain than any other island in the Central Group during this episode.

On Santa Maria, Civil Protection recorded four flooded homes and two blocked roads on Saturday. Vila do Porto mayor Bárbara Chaves also reported landslides and streams overflowing. She said there were no reported injuries or displaced residents, and that one case of flooding in a home had already been resolved.

Municipal services, firefighters, Civil Protection and regional government teams worked to clear affected areas and reopen roads. Travel on Santa Maria may depend on the completion of that work, so residents and visitors should check local conditions before setting out.

The weather also disrupted flights. By 7 p.m. on Saturday, 18 SATA services had been cancelled, including inter-island flights and connections beyond the Azores. In an archipelago that relies on both air and road links, Hanna's effects extended beyond flooded properties and altered journeys between islands and to destinations outside the region.