Lashed by Leonardo, mashed by Marta - effects on Alcalá of a series of Atlantic storms

Two weeks ago I was moaning that it had been raining for weeks.  But I didn't know then that the worst was still to come. Hot on the heels of Joseph and Kristin, Storm Leonardo hit the Iberian peninsular and northern Morocco last week with devastating effects across Andalucía, especially the province of Cadiz. It was soon followed by the equally vindictive Marta, and yesterday we were warned that Nils was on the way, but heading for northern Spain.

Apparently this extreme weather is due mainly to an area of high pressure which has been parked over Scandinavia for several weeks.  This has been blocking areas of low pressure with its mild wet weather from pushing across from the Atlantic, deflecting the jet stream further south and bringing unusually high levels of rainfall to the UK, western Europe and the Mediterranean.

Winds of over 100 kpm lashed the Costa de la Luz last week, blocking roads with sand and destroying beach infrastructure. The beautiful mountain village of Grazalema, famous for having the highest rainfall in all Spain, recorded 672mm (26.4 inches) of rain in 36 hours - about what London gets in a year.  The karst limestone on which it sits became saturated, there was nowhere for the water to go and it erupted into streets and houses. The whole village had to be evacuated. 

Grazalema, in the Sierra de Cádiz

In all nearly 11,000 people had to leave their homes in Andalucia, including twenty families here in Alcalá when a wall collapsed behind the flats in the Olivar del Santo:

The Rio Barbate at the bottom of the hill burst its banks in many places, leading to the evacuation of people and livestock:

Last weekend a building collapsed on the Paseo de la Playa. The occupants managed to escape but adjacent homes and businesses have been affected as the whole block has had to be demolished. Apparently the first floor was held up by 200-year-old wooden beams, which just rotted away.  Some conspiracy theorists are blaming seismic tremors.

Numerous roads were closed due to flooding, including those leading from Alcalá to Benalup and Paterna. In the Sierra some roads have collapsed completely:

Alcalá-Paterna - road closed for a week

Alcalá-Benalup

Road collapse near Algodonales in the Sierra

Mudslide by a tunnel on the A-381 

Within Alcalá's historic town centre, the cobbled streets are breaking up in many places as rain has washed away the mortar between the stones. The whitewashed walls are developing a significant coating of black and green mould.  The high winds also brought frequent power cuts, just a second or two but enough to knock out the wifi.

The latest scare, a couple of days ago, was an announcement that due to broken pipes in the water treatment plant in Paterna de la Ribera, residents of Paterna, Alcalá and Medina should avoid drinking, washing with or cooking with tap water.  After further analysis it was determined that the Alcalá water was completely safe (though a bit cloudy), but an awful lot of plastic bottles have been sold in the meantime.  In Paterna they are still getting water from a lorry.

It's not all bad news. The traditional wetlands of La Janda, long since drained for crop cultivation, have reverted to their natural state.  The migrating storks, cranes and flamingoes are loving it.

Sunshine is forecast for this weekend and the foreseeable future, and I can't wait.  Weeks of grey skies and constant rain affect not only the physical fabric of the town but also the emotional wellbeing of the people.  I'm one of those SAD souls who get depressed and listless during the dark winter months (one of many reasons for moving here) but I know my spirits will lift as soon as the sun comes out.