Spain has been hit by yet more heavy flooding, unleashing further havoc on the traumatised nation.
Just two weeks ago, flooding in Valencia killed more than 200 people, left entire streets underwater and caused hundreds of millions of euro in damage.
On Wednesday, the Spanish weather agency issued an alert for the entire east and south coast of the country.
On Newstalk Breakfast, freelance journalist Melita Cameron Woods said the alert meant normal life came to an abrupt end once again.
“Yesterday evening, we got this alert on our phones for the whole of the Valencian coastline and in some areas 180 litres of rainfall were forecast in just four hours,” she said.
“Currently, 163 municipalities are following restricted measures.
“So, that basically means that we’re not supposed to use private vehicles, sporting activities have been cancelled, educational activities and day centres for the elderly have been closed.”
New red alerts issued by the Spanish meteorological agency in the provinces of Tarragona and Malaga.
Irish citizens should follow the instructions of the local authorities.
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— Ireland Embassy Madrid (@IrlEmbMadrid) November 13, 2024
Ms Cameron Woods said most of the areas impacted by the flooding in October have not yet recovered and further rain is “just making a situation that was already bad, worse.”
“Some of these streets already look like streams,” she said.
“So, a Mayor just posted online saying that people should remain at home if they live in these streets and they should refrain from taking their cars out.
“We received messages from the public health service saying that unless you have an emergency, any appointment will be rescheduled.
“It’s just a time of high anxiety - you get these alerts on your phone and you don’t really know where these clouds are going to go.”
Long-term consequences
Ms Cameron Woods said the damage from the last set of floods is “hard to describe really” and recovery will take some time.
“If you see these places that are already inundated with mud, it’s hard to know how you could protect somewhere that’s already sustained such severe damage,” she said.
“Lots of the roads are so badly damaged between these small towns, so whereas it would usually take about five minutes to drive from one town to another, everyone’s taking alternate routes.
“So, that’s leading to major traffic jams as well.”
The flooding is expected to have a severe impact on Spain’s agricultural sector - which could lead to potential food shortages in Ireland this winter.
Main image shows the aftermath of the floods in Valencia in October. Image by: Alamy.com
