Lanzarote grapples with significant flooding after a sudden storm leaves the island's infrastructure damaged while emergency services respond to hundreds of incidents.
Severe Flooding Strikes Lanzarote Following Torrential Rainfall
Severe Flooding Strikes Lanzarote Following Torrential Rainfall
Torrential rain causes emergency declaration as hundreds of homes and roads are submerged.
Lanzarote is currently reeling from severe flooding as a result of torrential rainfall that struck the island late Saturday into early Sunday. The local government declared a state of emergency after an astonishing 6cm (2.4 inches) of rain fell in just two hours, overwhelming the popular tourist destination.
Authorities have reported that, fortunately, no injuries have occurred during the storm, and the state of emergency was lifted early Sunday morning. However, the head of Lanzarote's emergency services, Enrique Espinosa, stated that many homes were overwhelmed by floodwaters, leaving behind a "great quantity of mud" to deal with.
Throughout the night, emergency services responded to around 300 calls, predominantly from the affected areas of Arrecife and Teguise. Reports suggest that Costa Teguise encountered over 150 incidents and Arrecife saw more than 70, with San Bartolomé being particularly hard-hit.
Footage circulating on social media displays the extent of the flooding, showcasing large torrents of water surging beneath bridges and leaving a number of cars stranded on submerged roads. The heavy rainfall followed closely after Storm Olivier passed through the Canaries, mainland Spain, and Portugal, prompting various weather alerts.
Spain's meteorological service has warned of ongoing weather disturbances, alerting residents to expect further storms in the northeast, rain in the Balearic Islands, and strong winds along the northern and southern coasts over the course of the coming days.
