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Torrential rain leaves flooding across Murcia as Emergency Risk Plan activated
Cartagena was the worst affected, with dozens of vehicles having to be rescued after extremely heavy rains last night
It has been raining heavily in almost the entire Region of Murcia and it is forecast to continue to rain on and off all week.
The torrential rains have already left chaos in their wake, with floods causing road closures, school closures and emergency rescues.
Also of interest: These are all the roads that are closed due to the rain in Murcia
In Lorca, the accumulated rainfall over the last 24 hours was 51 litres per square metre and two vehicles had to be rescued after being stuck in floods, one of which was a van which the Municipal Emergency Service had to tow out with the help of a tractor.
The old Águilas road, at the height of the Lorbus company, remains cut off due to flooding.
In the Campo de Cartagena and in Mazarrón, over 100 litres of water per square metre fell in just four hours and the 112 Emergency Services received more than 220 calls during the early hours of the morning for issues related to heavy rainfall.
The Hospital del Rosell in Cartagena suffered water leakage and the hallways flooded.
El barrio de San Ginés en #Cartagena sigue anegado por el agua y muchas personas no pueden salir de sus viviendas
— Onda Regional (@ORMurcia) May 23, 2023
Las lluvias de la pasada madrugada han provocado goteras e inundaciones en el hospital del Rosellhttps://t.co/VHV784oZnt pic.twitter.com/v2uOk694YQ
The majority of the calls to emergency services were requests for water supply, but there were also dozens of calls related to vehicle rescues.
In most cases the driver, at their own risk, drove into a road that had been previously closed by municipal authorities. In fact, the emergency services and fire brigade had to go to great lengths to rescue several people from inside their vehicles in Cartagena city centre.
People are advised to avoid undertaking any non-essential journeys; to take extreme precaution when driving; and to avoid flooded areas near ramblas and other waterways.
You may also like: 5 expert tips to ensure your Spanish home is flood proof
The Directorate General for Public Safety and Emergencies has activated level 0 of the Special Civil Protection Plan for Flood Risk, for “situations in which meteorological and/or hydrological data make it possible to foresee the imminence of flooding, with danger to people and property, or those in which flooding could have occurred, although very localised, affecting a single municipal area and which can be resolved by municipal resources and/or the resources of the Autonomous Community assigned to the Municipal Plan.”
Schools were let out early in places such as Lorca, Aledo, Alhama de Murcia, Totana, Águilas, Puerto Lumbreras, Mazarrón, Cartagena, Torre Pacheco, Fuente Álamo, San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Los Alcázares and La Unión.
En Águilas, Murcia. Inundaciones. pic.twitter.com/Vb2zfvb7ZZ
— Michel d👽A 2050 (@MicheldyA2050) May 14, 2023
As a result of the extremely heavy rains, the Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Employment has agreed to “suspend school activities” in certain municipalities which are worst affected for today, Tuesday May 23.
All schools in Murcia have their own emergency and evacuation plan in case of an emergency situation, in which case the principals of those schools are contacted.
The Regional Government has stated, “It is important that citizens are informed through the official channels, websites and social networks of 112 and Educarm.”
Images: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
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