Intense Rainfall Causes Concerns Among Residents in Spain

valencia - The new weather phenomenon DANA has once again led to intense rainfall in parts of Spain, causing worries among the residents.

In Paiporta, where more than sixty people died in late October due to severe weather, residents anxiously waited as the weather service Aemet issued a red weather alert for Valencia once again. "It rained intensely for twenty minutes, then the rain became less intense," said resident Manuel Tarazona, who is assisting with food distribution these days.

Residents could breathe a sigh of relief this time as the ground in the area could not absorb much water after the severe weather two weeks ago. In Catarroja, a resident mentioned that he was not afraid, 'because I have already lost everything.' "It rained, but the streets did not flood. The streets were fairly cleaned up, and the drainage system coped," the man said.

This time, the heavy rainfall mainly occurred in the coastal areas. In Cullera, up to 80 liters per square meter fell, leading to flooded streets again. The streets were closed to traffic. The same situation occurred in the south of Catalonia, for instance, in the town of Alcanar in Tarragona.

In the town of Benamargosa in the province of Malaga, just above Torre del Mar, a river overflowed, flooding houses and a restaurant. In Malaga, residents had an intense night after heavy rain during the day. Some areas recorded 150 liters per square meter. Over four thousand people were evacuated as a precaution and had to spend the night elsewhere.

Today, the Spanish weather service Aemet issued an orange weather alert for the Valencia region and the provinces of Malaga, Cádiz, Huelva, and Sevilla. This lowered the alert by one level after a night of red alert. Supermarkets, which remained closed during the red alert, have reopened.

Additionally, there is a 'hygiene bus' - a bus equipped with showers. In some areas in the 'zona cero,' there is still no hot water. There are also barber chairs where people can wash their hair. Volunteer Manolo mentioned on Spanish TV: "A girl came here yesterday with her mother; they had not showered for nine days. They cried with joy, they were so happy that they could take a warm shower again."