Virality of Lisbon's Almirante Reis Avenue flooding confirmed by locals
"Almirante Reis Avenue, Lisbon… looks more like Rio's Almirante Reis!" reads a post shared on Facebook on February 11, though the video's author remains unnamed. Another older post claims the user "doesn't believe" the footage they are sharing.
In light of the images circulating online, SIC received a fact-checking request: Are the videos real? And were they recorded this past February?
A detailed analysis of the footage allowed for a more precise location to be identified: Rua da Palma.
The images reveal several restaurants and an Auchan supermarket. A search via Google Street View shows that, as of May 2025, the site now occupied by Auchan was previously a Minipreço store.
The Minipreço brand transitioned to Auchan in 2025, confirming that the images circulating on social media were recorded after May of last year.
The area is also home to the KungFu Niuniu restaurant and the Lisboa 1908 Hotel. When contacted by SIC Verifica, the restaurant's staff confirmed the footage is authentic and was captured on February 7.
"The chaos had already passed by the time our team arrived to open the restaurant," the Chinese eatery stated, adding that "there was water inside the premises."
An official source from the hotel corroborated this account, noting that the images "reflect the reality observed on February 7, 2026, around 8:40 AM, when it all began."
"Almirante Reis Avenue suffered severe flooding, with water levels reaching those visible in the video, which significantly disrupted traffic in the surrounding area," the hotel source explained.
SIC Verifica concludes:
The images circulating on social media of Almirante Reis Avenue are genuine and were recorded on February 7, most likely in the morning, based on cross-referenced accounts from witnesses present during the flooding.
