News@fmul had the kindness to invite me to write an article about the effects of the tragedy that took place in Madeira and its reflections on academic life. I am grateful for the invitation, and although it is not easy given the nature of the subject, I am going to try to briefly describe the effects of the tragedy on the lives of the people of Madeira and in particular on that of the students at the University of Madeira (UMa).
Tragedy befell Madeira, and independently of the human errors nature was implacable and unpredictable!

Madeira Island, the synonym of paradise and of a pleasant place for all its inhabitants and for our visitors, became a Dantesque scene for a few days. On the morning of the 20th of February a violent storm hit Madeira. Persistent torrential rainfall fell over the island, leaving a trail of destruction equal, according to the history of the island, to the tragedy recorded in October 1803.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, the Madeirans started their day. For some it was a day off and for others it was another working day. Unexpectedly, around 11 am, the waters coming from the mountains at a dizzying rate abruptly burst into the beds of the main water courses that led to the mythical Bay of Funchal and which were insufficient to receive and hold so much water. The river beds overflowed and burst their banks. The muddy waters, the rocks and the debris carried by them mercilessly invaded houses, streets, bridges and shopping malls, dragging off people, cars and other goods with their uncontrollable strength.

The many images that have already been shown on the media and the social networks are terrifying and impressive, but they unfortunately show the cruel way that nature has treated us. It showed its sovereign power and did not forgive possible intromissions or disrespect by Man in its territory. Equally, it had no qualms about occupying the space that had not belonged to it for some time. Implacable and intolerant, it was not condescending in relation to the pearl of the Atlantic, on that day covered by a giant depression. The weather pictures for the day showed our smallness in relation to such a Great natural phenomenon.

As a Madeiran, I felt deep sadness and a feeling of impotence. When I saw some pictures of areas dear to me I recalled the Ribeira de S. João with fondness, once covered by beautiful, bright coloured bougainvillea, an image I have kept since my childhood on the way I took for years to my school, in Avenida do Infante.

In relation to academic life, the University Campus building, located along the Ribeira de São João, was affected by some flooding on the technical floors, depriving the building of electricity, yet without any other noteworthy damage. The same thing was not true of the accesses to the building, which were totally blocked up with mud, stones and other materials dragged down from the mountains. This situation, as well as that of the difficulties for our students who live in the most rural areas, which were also affected by the storm, as well as the restrictions imposed by the Civil Protection Authorities, led the University Chancellery to suspend academic activities until the 1st of March. In relation to the course in medicine, it was not possible for the students to take two final exams, namely those of the Module I.I and the Common Core II a), which will be taken at a later date. There has been no news of personal accidents with teachers, support staff or students at our university, although some students lost family members in the tragedy. Unfortunately, André Capelo, student in the 2nd Year of the Integrated Masters in Medicine, lost his father after an act of courage, when he was trying to save a person who had, as it happened, disrespected an Access road that was barred off. To André, who just yesterday did an exam to improve his mark in Module II.III, I wish to express my solidarity at this time of pain but also of hope. I know that he will have the strength necessary overcome this adverse moment and in the future finish his course successfully. That will be the best posthumous homage he could pay his father.

I must highlight the extremely important role played by our students in this tragedy. The University of Madeira Students’ Association (AAUMa) quickly became organised for solidarity activities, such as collecting goods and supporting the homeless, as well as cleaning up the streets and the accesses to the university building. A word of thanks to them.

The work of the regional authorities and the support of the national authorities, as well as of the armed forces, were determining in the hours after the violent storm. The cleaning and rebuilding teams were quickly mobilised and were of unparalleled efficiency.

Solidarity coming from the four corners of the world and the spirit of mutual help minimised the pain of those who had been harshly affected and deeply moved all the Madeirans, and we felt that we were not alone, which affected us greatly. An enormous thanks to EVERYONE!

In the city of Funchal and in the whole island we are slowly starting to get back to our daily routines, albeit with some limitations on the level of access. Teaching activities have returned to normality. The week that the university was closed will be covered by a complementary period of classes and assessment.

The island was wounded, any moments of pain are behind us, there are surely many stories still to tell and many lives have been lost.

Now it is time to look to the future!

We believe that Madeira will once again be the paradise for its inhabitants and for those who visit us. We still need help from everyone. I recommend you to choose Madeira for your holidays, for relaxation of for holding scientific meetings. Take my suggestion and you won’t be sorry!

Maria Isabel Torres
Associate Professor in the Unit of Medical Sciences
University of Madeira
isat@uma.pt