Where and when storms are expected as Spain braces for more floods

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A general view of an area affected by floods in Chiva, Spain, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Classes have been suspended in schools in Malaga, Valencia and some municipalities of Catalonia. Two metro lines have been closed or partially closed in Malaga, along with three highways deemed at risk of flash floods.

In Valencia, where the regional government and Red Cross handed out jackets and blankets, Gandia cargo and passenger port was closed, and the finals of the Billie Jean King tennis tournament in Malaga were postponed to Friday.

Spain’s Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz and unions reminded workers that they were not legally obliged to go to work if weather conditions made it unsafe for them to do so.

The emergency measures come after fierce criticism, primarily of local authorities but also national government, for their level of preparation for and warnings to citizens about the Oct. 29 storm and resulting floods.

The autumnal storm system blighting Spain is known locally as DANA – a high-altitude isolated depression – in which cold and warm air meet and produce powerful rain clouds, a pattern believed to be growing more frequent due to climate change.

In Valencia, the impact of the rain could be severe because of the significant quantities of mud already on the ground and because of the condition of the sewage system, Rosa Tauris, a spokesperson for its emergency committee, told reporters on Tuesday.

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A man stands among flooded cars piled up in Valencia, Spain (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Many municipalities in flood-hit areas cancelled all non-essential activities, told citizens to work from home and follow emergency services’ updates, as well as asking volunteers to suspend clean-up operations and piling up sandbags for extra protection.

Cesar Cabrera, 32, a sewage worker from Pamplona labouring in the flood-hit Valencian suburb of Pairporta, said they were racing against time to unblock drains in case rivers overflowed again.

“We are cleaning so that the water can flow if it rains,” he said. “Let’s hope it doesn’t rain a lot and we can control the situation.”

The coming storms also obliged the suspension of rescue efforts by teams still searching for missing people off the coast of Valencia, Spain’s maritime rescue service said.

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Publish date : 2024-11-13 05:22:00

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