Severe weather alerts have been issued and thousands evacuated as a powerful storm brings a month’s worth of rain and high winds to Spain just weeks after deadly flash floods hit the country.
While a red alert in Valencia was lifted on Thursday morning after more than 100mm of rain fell in some areas, warnings remained in place. Dozens of emergency callouts were reported overnight, mostly in areas worst-hit by the previous floods, which killed more than 200 people.
Although the fresh rains appear to have brought limited damage, in the Malaga province, homes were “decimated” by flooding after a river burst its banks on Wednesday in the town of Benamargosa, as around 3,000 people living along the Guadalhorce River and reportedly a further 1,100 near the Vélez River were evacuated.
The city of Malaga’s main hospital was forced to limit services to emergencies only after becoming flooded.
The Costa del Sol, including popular tourist destinations like Marbella, Estepona, and Vélez, is bearing the brunt of the extreme weather phenomenon known as a “Dana”.
Malaga streets turn to rivers as floodwaters sweep through Costa del Sol town
Malaga streets turned to rivers on Wednesday as floodwaters sweep through the Costa del Sol.
Footage released by the Guardia Civil shows the river bursting its bank in Benamorgasa with vehicles submerged:
Video: Malaga streets turn to rivers as floodwaters sweep through Costa del Sol town
Malaga streets have turned to rivers as floodwaters sweep through the Costa del Sol. Footage released by the Guardia Civil shows the river bursting its bank in Benamorgasa with vehicles submerged. Around 3,000 people near the Guadalhorce River have been moved from their homes as a preventive measure. Spanish weather forecaster AEMET put Malaga on red alert on Wednesday (13 November), saying up to 70 millimeters (roughly three inches) of rain had accumulated in an hour. Parts of Tarragona province in the east also faced heavy rain and remained under red alert. The storm system affecting Spain is caused by warm air that collides with stagnant cold air and forms powerful rain clouds.
Andy Gregory15 November 2024 03:01
Watch: Cars and furniture lay piled up in mud as Spain reels from deadly floods
Andy Gregory15 November 2024 02:01
Spain struggles to get children back to school after deadly floods
While half a million children stayed away from Andalusian schools on Wednesday as a result of the latest storm, Spanish authorities had already been struggling to get children back in classrooms after last month’s deadly floods:
Andy Gregory15 November 2024 01:00
Generation Snowflake? I couldn’t believe what I saw young people doing in the Valencia floods
Andy Gregory15 November 2024 00:01
How Spain’s ‘catastrophic’ floods led to over 200 deaths
The latest storm comes on the back of Spain’s worst floods in recent memory, which left at least 217 people dead, submerged towns, toppled bridges and cut entire communities off from the outside world.
My colleague Stuti Mishra has more details on why the floods proved so dangerous:
Andy Gregory14 November 2024 23:32
Pictured: Clean-up continues in Valencian municipality as streets choked with mud
Police, military and volunteers are continuing with cleaning operations in the flood-hit Valencian municipality of Paiporta.
Andy Gregory14 November 2024 23:01
City authorities activate emergency plans in Huelva
A coastal city close to Spain’s border with Portugal activated its emergency plan on Thursday afternoon after orange weather alerts were issued in the area.
Under the plans put in force by Huelva City Council, all public parks, municipal buildings and sports facilities were closed, while municipal workers were told to work remotely where possible, Spanish news agency EFE reported.
Citizens in the city were urged to take “maximum precaution”.
Andy Gregory14 November 2024 22:32
Watch: Spain’s king vows to give ‘hope’ after angry residents throw mud on his visit to Valencia town
Andy Gregory14 November 2024 22:00
‘Only objective’ is to minimise damage and avoid human losses, warns Andalusian president
The “only objective” for authorities in Andalusia during this storm is to “minimise the damage and especially avoid human losses”, regional leader Juanma Moreno has said.
But Mr Moreno warned that this “cannot be achieved if there is not maximum collaboration on the part of all citizens”, as he urged “maximum caution”, Europa Press reported.
Andy Gregory14 November 2024 21:31
