News April, 17th 2010 by John Grimmett

Flooding leaves families stranded and roads closed in Estepona

Vehicles attempting to cross a Guadalobón causeway.

As flood waters continue to rise from heavy rain on Thursday and Friday, more roads are closing, and more damage is becoming apparent.

The right lane, of the A-7 through Estepona, towards Cadiz, was closed Saturday morning after being inundated by rising waters. Other sections of the A-7 have been closed then reopened throughout the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, about 30 families had no access to their homes for almost the entire day of Friday following the overflow of river channels and damage to roads, which have remained closed in some areas since Thursday.

A total of 16 families live in the area of El Velerín, with another five in Madroña. In both cases, cracks appeared in access roads, preventing traffic through the area. During Friday, four machines and six tractors hired by the City Council worked to drain and channel water from the streets, Councillor for Agriculture Carmen Ocaña explained, and some streets opened in the afternoon.

Access was still closed in La Charca de La Extranjera, where houses are accessible only on foot. Nine home-owners in the Guadalobón area have had serious problems. These homes are accessible only on roads that cross the river, and they will have to wait until the channel recedes. At press time, five families were isolated. The mayor said most of those affected are used as second homes.

The storm also left marks on the coast. Rivers and streams have deposited reeds and debris on beaches. Costas will start clean-up next Monday, focusing first on Punta la Plata, Seghers, Santa Marta, El Padrón and Velerín. Costas will also replace much of the sand that has washed away.

‘They have run out of sand’, the Councillor for Beaches says. Replacement sand is taken from the mouths of rivers. City maintenance will also need to repair damage to pedestrian and sanitation facilities.

In the nearby town of Manilva, classes were cancelled in schools and childcare centres on Thursday due to flooding, according to town hall. Access roads that were were cut off on Friday by landslides or flooding were open on Saturday, although maintenance crews remain watchful for further problems as heavy rainfall continues.