Malaga flooding latest: Severe rain alerts as homes ‘decimated’ after month’s worth of rainfall hits in hours
Thousands evacuated in Malaga as powerful storm hits Spain just weeks after deadly flash floods
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Your support makes all the difference.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”.
Fuengirola lifts state of emergency after flooded streets and fallen trees
Authorities in Fuengirola, Malaga, have lifted the state of emergency put in force in response to the storm this week.
Mayor Ana Mula was quoted by Europa Press as saying: “There have been occasional traffic cuts, due to the amount of water that fell in a short period of time ... where traffic had to be interrupted for a few moments to allow the water to drain away.”
“There have also been some fallen trees on Avenida de Los Boliches, Calle Tejar and the Fairgrounds, but thanks to the responsibility and collaboration of the people of Fuengirola, everything has worked relatively well, taking into account the amount of water that fell in a very short time,” Ms Mula added.
Flights cancelled over Valencia as new storm hit
Out of the 296 commercial flights that were scheduled at Malaga-Costa Del Sol airport on Wednesday, 15 had been cancelled as of 8pm local time, and around five had been diverted, Spain’s airport group, Aena, said.
Aena had asked that anyone flying from Malaga-Costa Del Sol airport and Barcelona’s El Prat Airport on Wednesday check the status of their flight with their airline, as heavy rain and adverse weather were affecting approaches to both airlines.
As of Thursday afternoon, most flights coming into the airport were landing on time, while one Iberia flight coming in from Valencia had been cancelled, along with another to Paris and one to Stockholm. Most of the scheduled departures flying out from Malaga were also undisrupted.
It appears that Valenica’s airport was experiencing disruption, however, with FlightRadar is showing that around 20 flights scheduled to depart on Thursday had been cancelled as of Thursday afternoon.
Is it safe to travel to Spain and should I cancel my holiday after flooding disaster?
Travel chaos in Malaga has improved after dozens of flights were delayed and 15 cancelled following a powerful storm over the popular tourist destination.
High-speed train services in Malaga were also reopening on Thursday after trains were halted and stations were evacuated due to flooding, national rail infrastructure operator Adif said.
My colleague Amelia Neath has the latest travel advice:
Is it safe to travel to Spain? Should I cancel my Malaga holiday?
Severe weather in Spain is back over Malaga as flights and train travel were disrupted due to wind and rain
Evacuations ordered near river in Cadiz as water levels rise
The regional Andalusian government has ordered authorities in Cadiz to evacuate homes in three neighbourhoods near the Guadiaro River because of rising water levels.
The neighbourhoods are situated on the border between the provinces of Malaga and Cadiz. It is unclear how many people are impacted.
Teachers with pupils impacted by floods to be given emotional support courses
Spain’s department for education has drawn up plans for teachers with pupils impacted by the deadly floods to receive emotional support courses, Europa Press reported.
Fresh rains come after thousands protested floods response in Valencia
The latest storms, and robust preparations for their arrival, came after fierce criticism, primarily of local authorities but also national government, for their level of preparation for and warnings to citizens about last month’s fatal floods.
Just days prior to the recent rains, thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Valencia to call for the city’s leader to step down.
Protestors carrying signs reading “You killed us!” marched towards Valencia’s city hall where they were met with riot police and beaten back with batons.
Thousands of protesters take to streets of Valencia following deadly flooding
Angry protesters are calling for Valencian president Carlos Mazón to resign after 219 people were killed in floods
‘It’s all destroyed’: Aftermath of deadly flash floods in Spain
Here is some footage from the aftermath of last month’s deadly flash floods, which marked the worst natural disaster in Spain’s living memory.
Valencia lifts ban on using cars
Valencia has lifted a ban on the use of private cars and allowed schools to reopen from midday after the worst of the storm passed, the spokesperson for the five million-strong region’s emergency committee, Rosa Touris, has told reporters.
A red weather alert was issued in the region on Wednesday evening, with an anxious night for many in areas worst hit during last month’s fatal floods.
Valencia says areas hardest-hit by deadly storms left unscathed
The emergency committee in Valencia, where there were concerns about the potential impact of more rainfall in areas with significant quantities of mud already and damaged sewage systems, said the areas affected by the deadly storms were not hit this time.
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