Juanma Moreno, the head of the Andalusian Regional Government, believes that it will be “very hard” for the evacuees of the Cadiz village Grazalema in “six to seven days” to return home.

SUR reported on Thursday that the residents of Ronda in Malaga were forced to leave their homes to seek shelter due to the threat of flooding and landslides caused by Storm Leonardo. In the last few days, the impact of the storm has reached historic figures for Andalucía.

Moreno believes that returning to the village will happen only after geologists and specialists have evaluated the land’s condition and infrastructure. This can only happen if the rain stops and the water drains.

According to the latest forecast by the state agency for meteorology (Aemet), a storm is expected to arrive on Saturday. Weather forecasts improvement from Wednesday 11 February.

Moreno admits that evacuations for such a long time, and especially so often, “disrupt people’s everyday lives”. According to him, “prevention” is more important than cure, and that these operations are essential to prevent death and serious incidents.

Moreno stated that “we will act with great foresight, and we are aware of the inconveniences this may cause. However, the primary objective of the plan is to save life.” He added that despite these inconveniences, evacuated residents were feeling “reasonably good”.

This preventive action has affected around 1,500 residents. Shelters were set up by the regional government and emergency services in the El Fuerte sport centre in Ronda. However, some people preferred to stay at the homes of their relatives and friends. Some people sought hotel accommodation.

Moreno has also expressed gratitude to residents of Ronda, who have welcomed flood victims from Grazalema into their homes.