Mason Jones (Reporter)
By James Bryce
HEAVY rain has affected parts of Andalucia just weeks after flooding caused extensive damage in Malaga.
In some parts of the region – where the average annual rainfall is 500 litres per square metre – 50 litres fell in just half an hour.
In Alhaurin de la Torre, 14 people were evacuated following flooding which left around 50 homes inaccessible.
Flood warnings were issued in Mijas and Arriate, while residents in Alora were left without drinking water after wells were contaminated by the overflowing Guadalhorce River.
In Cartama, expat Debbie Norman worked around the clock to save 13 pedigree dogs from their kennel beside their home, when the nearby Guadalhorce river flooded its banks.
“It was a real shock to wake up to a foot of water, which over the next hour rose by at least another two feet,” she said.
“Had we not been here I am sure a lot of our dogs would have died.”
In total, 14 roads were cut off across the region as the adverse weather caused chaos for homeowners and businesses.
Other regions across Spain were also badly affected by the rain, with 14,000 children kept away from school due to road closures in Alicante.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Insurance Consortium has confirmed it has processed 367 of the 1,216 compensation claims it has received in relation to the Malaga floods in September.
A total of €1.2 million has so far been paid out to 15 claimants, covering damage caused to their homes and belongings.
In more good news, reservoirs around the region are now approaching 75% full.
