Madrid (EFE).- Storm Joseph caused the death of a woman in Málaga on Tuesday, as well as accidents, floods, landslides, and evacuations in Galicia, Andalusia, and Castile and León. It is expected to strengthen on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) warned of the destruction caused by the high-impact phenomenon, including a strong maritime storm in the Galician community and the Cantabrian Sea with waves up to six meters high and strong winds, in addition to rain and snow in other areas.
At least 800 rain and wind-related incidents occurred in Galicia, including floods, landslides, and fallen branches and stones on roads, which caused a series of accidents.
One of the most serious incidents was a multiple collision involving 12 to 14 vehicles on the AP-9 toll motorway; besides leaving injuries, it completely cut off the main land route to Santiago de Compostela.
Heavy rains have fallen in the interior of Pontevedra province, where the red alert was activated, and over 150 liters per square meter accumulated in municipalities such as Forcarei.
Furthermore, the Civil Guard rescued a driver trapped in a partially submerged vehicle on a secondary road near the Chaín River in Portas, Pontevedra.
During a visit to the Galician headquarters of AEMET, the Government Delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, once again called for caution regarding the evolution of meteorological predictions for the coming days.
The situation is also worrisome in Andalusia, where Minister of Health, Presidency, and Emergencies Antonio Sanz elevated the Emergency Plan against Flood Risk to Emergency Phase Operational Situation 1 due to the storm’s impact on the region.
There have been 366 registered incidents, primarily in Cádiz (96), Seville (78), and Málaga (47).
The most serious incident was the death of a woman in Torremolinos, Málaga. A palm tree fell on her, and she could not be resuscitated.
In the south, the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation activated the highest flood risk level for the Pedro Marín reservoir in Jódar, Jaén, while in the neighboring area of Mogón, Villacarrillo, a pre-emergency situation was declared due to increased flow in the Guadalquivir and Aguascebas rivers.
In Jimena de la Frontera, Cádiz, 11 people were evacuated from their homes as a preventive measure due to the overflowing Hozgargante River.
In addition, all maritime communications in the Strait of Gibraltar were canceled, and there will be no ferry departures connecting Algeciras and Tarifa with the ports of Ceuta and Tangier.
Landslides and traffic alterations
The storm’s impact has also been noted in other parts of the country. In Castile and León, for example, the storm caused the collapse of two buildings, one semi-abandoned and the other uninhabited, in Ponferrada (León) and Segovia, with no injuries.
The Cantabrian Mountains of León and Palencia, as well as the Sanabria region of Zamora, are on alert for snowfall on Tuesday. The Central System area of Ávila and Segovia is on alert for thawing, and the Central System and the southern part of the province of Salamanca are on alert for rain.
All alerts are at the yellow level, except for the southern part of the province of Ávila, which is at the orange level with up to 80 liters of rain per square meter expected in 12 hours.EFE
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