Rob Horgan
WROUGHT in two and tilting on its side, the wreckage of one of the Costa del Sol’s most emblematic beach bars is a chilling reminder of 48 hours of relentless rain which claimed two lives and left thousands more homeless.
The worst flooding for 25 years saw a new river literally carve its way through the middle of Floria, in Manilva, leaving the chiringuito a complete write off in a matter of minutes.
With the toilet ripped out and the contents of its kitchen strewn on the sand, the owners have joined the thousands of desolated home and business owners in the impossible task of sorting through the wreckage.
Many towns were declared a ‘disaster zone’ and left underwater with roads cut off and houses evacuated.
The heaviest rainfall fell in Estepona, where a 26-year-old woman tragically perished in a basement brothel, while an electrician also drowned in La Linea.
Politicians rallied round, along with the King of Spain who offered condolences, as the cost of the clear up is estimated at tens of millions of euros.
The worst affected areas were Mijas, Estepona, Cartama, Manilva and Casares where land, sea and air rescue teams were deployed to help those stranded.
School was cancelled in all five towns on Monday, while on Tuesday the big clear up continued.
With businesses shutting up shop for most of the weekend and residents resigned to their homes, it is only now, that the true extent of the storms is beginning to be realised.
