At least 62 killed in flooding in Spain(english.elpais.com) |
At least 62 killed in flooding in Spain(english.elpais.com) |
W Mediterranean seems to be slowly mimicking the hurrican problems in East coast of USA.
This can't be repeated enough. If you are an expatriate on the Spanish Mediterranean and is raining strong, go away from any Rambla as fast as you can. Don't stand in low areas. DON'T try to cross a river, never, ever. Seriously. Your cybertruck will not be able to deal with it, and you will die. Walking on 30 cm of water can kill you.
Thousands of people received alerts on their phones, but it just happened too fast. People had 3 minutes from normal to 2m high water level inside the house, and many were surprised in the highway while driving. The authorities want to improve the phone system of alerts, including a black level beyond the current red.
The policy of last decades turning riverbeds into sterile concrete vases must be reviewed. Life forested river banks stop the water. Ecologists were saying this for 40 years. Concrete vases just accelerate and reinforce the flood. Of course people should stop building in the areas of influence of the riverbeds and those should be turned into gardens, but this is also an old issue discussed for years.
If I'm not wrong is yet officially the second worse natural disaster reported in Spain. Worse than Lorca's Earthquake, or la Palma Island Volcano. Even worse by the fact that many of the victims were recording everything with their phones in real time.
The storm front that caused that, is still active and moving towards the North.