Ávila Declares State of Emergency Due to Severe Flooding and Continuing Rainfall
The municipality of Ávila issues an emergency decree as the Rio Adaja overflows for the second time in two weeks, prompting evacuations and heightened concerns over further weather disruptions.
The city of Ávila has declared a state of emergency due to severe flooding resulting from the overflowing of the Rio Adaja, which has now inundated neighborhoods for the second time within two weeks.
Intense rainfall over recent days has significantly increased water levels in both the Rio Adaja and the Rio Chico, leading to submerged businesses and garages.
Precautionary measures included the evacuation of children from an urban camp and the closure of a daycare center, affecting local establishments.
Additionally, a residential complex in the nearby municipality of Maello has also been flooded.
Local government representatives have expressed concerns that the situation may deteriorate further as rainfall continues and melting snow may add to an already saturated runoff system.
The flooding began to escalate early Friday morning following several hours of unrelenting rain on a landscape already saturated from previous storms.
The Mayor of Ávila, Jesús Manuel Sánchez, representing the provincial party Por Ávila, stated that the conditions have become critical, asserting that certain areas of the municipality urgently require immediate solutions due to what has been classified as a "crisis of significant magnitude." The state of emergency enables streamlined processes for acquiring necessary resources and hiring services to respond rapidly to unforeseen circumstances, while maintaining accountability for costs and individual approvals.
On the regional level, the Junta de Castilla y León has activated a level 2 emergency response, on a scale of 0 to 3, as per the Special Civil Protection Plan in response to potential flooding.
Mayor Sánchez has acknowledged the potential for worsening conditions as the storm system, named Martinho, remains active.
Authorities from the sub-delegation of the Government have indicated a heightened risk as continual rain may cause additional snowmelt from surrounding mountains, further threatening to overwhelm already full watercourses.
The Duero Hydrographic Confederation has issued a red alert for rain and snowmelt in the region.
The Delegate of the Government in Castilla y León has also initiated an alert phase under the protocol for coordinating responses to adverse weather conditions affecting the state road network due to anticipated snowfall in the Central System of the provinces of Ávila, Segovia, León, and Zamora.
From six in the morning, snow accumulation is expected at elevations above 1,200 meters in Ávila and Segovia, and from midnight in León and the Sanabria area of Zamora.
Floodwaters have disrupted multiple roadways in and around Ávila, particularly impacting national road 403 and provincial routes AV-P-401 and AV-P-417, with traffic accidents reported due to waterlogging.
The city has notably seen its southern neighborhoods, particularly near the Rio Adaja, experience significant flooding, affecting areas around the bullring and the Adolfo Suárez football stadium.
Over 40 children and three adult monitors from Sevilla were safely evacuated from a religious center as a precaution, with no individuals at risk.
Residents in the most affected neighborhoods have been advised to remove vehicles from garages to avert damage, and many have constructed makeshift barriers against rising waters.
The flooding has rendered several businesses underwater, particularly affecting a childcare facility which remains closed.
Elsewhere in Spain, emergency management officials in Andalusia have reported that the community is experiencing a brief respite, although operational conditions remain in place due to high incidents of road closures, rescues, and overturned vehicles.
The flooding has resulted in the closure of 22 roads across Sevilla, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, and Granada, with evacuations occurring in several localities.
In Málaga's Serranía de Ronda, search operations for a missing motorcyclist have been hampered by adverse weather conditions, prompting searches to be suspended temporarily until conditions improve.
The only tangible find to date has been the missing individual's motorcycle, which was discovered buried in debris near the riverbank.
The Tajo Hydrographic Confederation has reported that 22 of its monitoring stations are currently at red alert status due to overflow risks.
Alerts for rain and winds have been disseminated across Madrid, Ávila, Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, and Cáceres, advising residents to remain vigilant and adhere to civil protection warnings.
In Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, an emergency alert has been broadcasted to mobile devices in flood-prone areas, advising against crossing inundated zones and respecting traffic closures.
Meteorological authorities have predicted that the intensity of rainfall will diminish over the forthcoming weekend, yet yellow alerts remain in effect for rain and adverse coastal conditions across various provinces.
Additional warnings for snowfall have been issued for Asturias, Castilla y León, and Madrid, forecasting accumulations of 5 to 10 centimeters.
Intense rainfall over recent days has significantly increased water levels in both the Rio Adaja and the Rio Chico, leading to submerged businesses and garages.
Precautionary measures included the evacuation of children from an urban camp and the closure of a daycare center, affecting local establishments.
Additionally, a residential complex in the nearby municipality of Maello has also been flooded.
Local government representatives have expressed concerns that the situation may deteriorate further as rainfall continues and melting snow may add to an already saturated runoff system.
The flooding began to escalate early Friday morning following several hours of unrelenting rain on a landscape already saturated from previous storms.
The Mayor of Ávila, Jesús Manuel Sánchez, representing the provincial party Por Ávila, stated that the conditions have become critical, asserting that certain areas of the municipality urgently require immediate solutions due to what has been classified as a "crisis of significant magnitude." The state of emergency enables streamlined processes for acquiring necessary resources and hiring services to respond rapidly to unforeseen circumstances, while maintaining accountability for costs and individual approvals.
On the regional level, the Junta de Castilla y León has activated a level 2 emergency response, on a scale of 0 to 3, as per the Special Civil Protection Plan in response to potential flooding.
Mayor Sánchez has acknowledged the potential for worsening conditions as the storm system, named Martinho, remains active.
Authorities from the sub-delegation of the Government have indicated a heightened risk as continual rain may cause additional snowmelt from surrounding mountains, further threatening to overwhelm already full watercourses.
The Duero Hydrographic Confederation has issued a red alert for rain and snowmelt in the region.
The Delegate of the Government in Castilla y León has also initiated an alert phase under the protocol for coordinating responses to adverse weather conditions affecting the state road network due to anticipated snowfall in the Central System of the provinces of Ávila, Segovia, León, and Zamora.
From six in the morning, snow accumulation is expected at elevations above 1,200 meters in Ávila and Segovia, and from midnight in León and the Sanabria area of Zamora.
Floodwaters have disrupted multiple roadways in and around Ávila, particularly impacting national road 403 and provincial routes AV-P-401 and AV-P-417, with traffic accidents reported due to waterlogging.
The city has notably seen its southern neighborhoods, particularly near the Rio Adaja, experience significant flooding, affecting areas around the bullring and the Adolfo Suárez football stadium.
Over 40 children and three adult monitors from Sevilla were safely evacuated from a religious center as a precaution, with no individuals at risk.
Residents in the most affected neighborhoods have been advised to remove vehicles from garages to avert damage, and many have constructed makeshift barriers against rising waters.
The flooding has rendered several businesses underwater, particularly affecting a childcare facility which remains closed.
Elsewhere in Spain, emergency management officials in Andalusia have reported that the community is experiencing a brief respite, although operational conditions remain in place due to high incidents of road closures, rescues, and overturned vehicles.
The flooding has resulted in the closure of 22 roads across Sevilla, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, and Granada, with evacuations occurring in several localities.
In Málaga's Serranía de Ronda, search operations for a missing motorcyclist have been hampered by adverse weather conditions, prompting searches to be suspended temporarily until conditions improve.
The only tangible find to date has been the missing individual's motorcycle, which was discovered buried in debris near the riverbank.
The Tajo Hydrographic Confederation has reported that 22 of its monitoring stations are currently at red alert status due to overflow risks.
Alerts for rain and winds have been disseminated across Madrid, Ávila, Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, and Cáceres, advising residents to remain vigilant and adhere to civil protection warnings.
In Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, an emergency alert has been broadcasted to mobile devices in flood-prone areas, advising against crossing inundated zones and respecting traffic closures.
Meteorological authorities have predicted that the intensity of rainfall will diminish over the forthcoming weekend, yet yellow alerts remain in effect for rain and adverse coastal conditions across various provinces.
Additional warnings for snowfall have been issued for Asturias, Castilla y León, and Madrid, forecasting accumulations of 5 to 10 centimeters.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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