This shocking event seems like one that would come straight out of a movie or the Bible…
It’s safe to say that no one in São Lorenco de Bairro, a small town in coastal Portugal, expected their Sunday afternoon to be filled with red wine.
But that’s exactly what happened: the evira Distillery tanks burst and flooded the streets with 600,000 gallons of alcohol, enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Two million liters of red wine suddenly gushed out of the distillery tanks and ran down the hill towards the Certima River.
The Anadia Fire Department had to act quickly in order to divert it into a nearby field before it could pollute the river and cause further damage.
Local media reported that although it caused a large amount of property damage as well as waste of alcohol, it was better than other potential flooding possibilities such as beer or straight liquor.
An environmental alert was issued due to concerns about how much pollution this flood would bring into the area.
Although there wasn’t an immediate danger from drinking water contamination because the nearest water source is several miles away, officials still wanted to ensure that any potential harm from chemical runoff would be mitigated by proper emergency response protocols.
The two million liters of spilled red wine shocked locals and visitors alike and left property damaged in its wake – but at least it wasn’t beer or straight liquor!
Despite some losses for businesses involved, this situation could have been much worse if not for quick action taken by emergency responders and local government officials who worked together to ensure minimal environmental damage occurred from this unexpected flood.
