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Almost 11,000 people evacuated in Andalucía: region calls on government to activate resources
The consequences of the unprecedented weather conditions currently affecting Andalucía are close to catastrophic.
As the situation changes constantly, the region has surpassed the 10,000 figure for people who have evacuated their homes. It is now preparing itself for an even more dire scenario due to the arrival of Storm Marta this weekend.
The Iberian peninsula is suffering from a meteorological phenomenon known as an “atmospheric river” and Andalucía is bearing the brunt with an accumulation of rainfall that has exceeded the capacity of its drainge system.
A region that suffered from one of its most severe droughts, up until very recently, has seen rivers overflowing. Reservoirs have exceeded their storage capacity. And underground aquifers have become saturated. This is causing terrain instability.
This has led to the evacuation of almost 11,000 people, the majority of whom are in the province of Cadiz. However, all Andalusian Provinces except Almeria have been affected.
Granada has 350 evicted residents, Malaga 400, Cordoba 600, Jaen 400, Seville and Huelva fewer. Seville has fewer evictions than Huelva, but these numbers are always changing. Sometimes, they increase because of evacuations caused by floods in rivers and streams. Other times, it is due to the unstable ground caused by underground water.
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The situation may worsen this weekend. This was warned by the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, who said that the forecast is to maintain the emergency situation at level 2 until Wednesday, which will enable all the authorities to bring in resources for the emergency operation to support those provided by the Junta de Andalucía itself.
More rain
“We’re experiencing heavy rains that have never been seen before in this region. The weekend will bring abundant rainfall. Monday is forecast to be a day of ‘atmospheric rivers’.
It is raining in a land that has been saturated. The reservoirs and ground are saturated. Deshalb, we urge you to exercise great caution. There is still more to come. We still have some rain until Wednesday at least all over Andalucía. “We must remain vigilant and avoid thinking that the worst is over. There could be new dangers and situations,” Moreno said.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the government is already thinking about reconstruction and highlighted the “extraordinary coordination” with the Junta
This rain could exacerbate the situation. More evacuations may be necessary. A geological assessment will be made in Grazalema. This municipality has been evacuated and the safety zone may need to be increased.
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Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, during his visit to the command post in San Roque.
Eduardo Briones / Europa Press
Moreno’s decision will depend on the intensity of rain starting Saturday. If it is heavy, things will get worse.
He said that if rains exceeded 70, 80, or 90 millimetres on Monday in any of the areas affected, it would likely lead to new evacuations. The current level 2 emergency will continue until at least Wednesday, 11 February. However, for Moreno the situation is one of “red alert”.
500 Million
The economic impact is not only a security issue. The damage to the roads in the region caused by the storm is estimated at over 500 million euros. He asked the Spanish government for resources to be mobilized and requested funds from the European Union.
Moreno said that the goal is to resolve many of the infrastructure problems, such as “deficit or partially or severely damaged infrastructures”, and alleviate the hardships of thousands of affected families.
Juanma moreno warned of the possibility of further heavy rain in the days ahead.
Moreno launched this request at the same time as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was in the Cadiz town of San Roque on his first visit to Andalucía since the beginning of this crisis.
Sánchez called for “calm and patience” from the affected citizens and warned that “long days” are ahead due to the next storm.
“All our sympathy, all our solidarity, and our request for patience and understanding, which I’m sure you have,” said Prime Minister. He praised the extraordinary level of coordination between authorities and the cooperation they are able to achieve.
In referring to the situation, he said that the state has already begun thinking about “reconstruction and recover” for the affected areas. However, he warned that “very hazardous and delicate” adverse conditions will continue over the next few days.
