Weekender Alicante South Issue 109

6 FRIDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2019
www.weekender.news
Seven dead and thousands
displaced as ferocious flooding
decimates Costa Blanca
It is the early hours of Friday
the 13th, skies fill with
intense blue white light
and the monstrous black
pendulous clouds break
open to the intense crash
of thunder.
You would be forgiven for
believing this is the opening
scene of the latest John Carpenter
blockbuster. Yet this
was a horror scene in reality.
One which has taken the ultimate
price. As the storm was
approaching, I, as many seasoned
“Ex-pats”, prepared myself,
my family and my house,
for the worst. But our fears
became the reality for many of
the Costa Blanca finest.
The Murcian Government
declared a red alert and
closed schools across the entire
area on Wednesday 11th
September, and with very
good cause as South Eastern
Spain hosted the largest
storm it has seen in nearly
150 years.
Some areas recorded record
levels of rainfall, torrential
downpours, filling rivers
to burst. The banks split
open, as thousands were
evacuated with only minutes
to spare, before cars gardens
and even houses were
by Alex Trelinski
washed away to nothing.
Thousands forced from
their homes as 300,000 hectares
of farm lands were decimated.
The military were called
into the Vega Baja area to
evacuate and save people
trapped inside their vehicles,
businesses and homes.
Over the course of the 24
hours of Friday 13th September,
houses were literally
washed from their
foundations, thousands of
cars floated along rivers of
muddy water, flood waters
trapped people on the top
floor of houses with no electricity
or communications,
as the Government of Murcia
saw its lands turned into
a disaster zone.
It was the ‘most devastating
storm since 1879, when
flooding killed over 1,000 in
Murcia and Orihuela,’
Six lives have been
claimed by the ‘Gota Fria,’
officially known as an ‘upper-level
isolated depression’
or ‘DANA.’
On the AP7 motorway
to Orihuela, cars lined the
sides of the roads, on end,
overturned, in something
which would not be out of
place in a warzone. Hundreds
of vehicles, in a long
line of destruction.
The tunnel section of the
AP7 motorway, passing
through Pilar De La Horadada,
filled with flood waters,
to the point where little more
than ducks may have passed
through. And still now, as
you read this, the water still
has not dissipated.
The Bull rings were filled
with water to the brim, creating
giant reservoirs of
muddy waters.
Tornadoes ravished lands
and danced across the
seas. One tornado pushing
through the centre of Guadamar
Del Segura, and even
tore through a school, leaving
destruction in its wake.
Six people have lost their
lives and to them we dedicate
the clean-up and rebuilding
of the Costa Blanca. To
those six and their families,
we will rebuild and make a
stronger Costa Blanca.
So far, the Costa Blanca
has responded in great fashion.
We have proven that together
we stand.
Having proudly contributed
to many charity events
over the last 5 years, I have
seen many appeal efforts and
I can tell you, in just five days,
this has been monumental.
Immediately, Big FM’s
general Manager, Richard
Sparks, began an appeal
across both Radio Stations,
Big FM and Big Radio Spain,
asking people to bring donations
to one of the drop off
points, in association with
Rojales Town Hall and the Social
Services. Within 12 hours
of the appeal, five truck loads
had been filled and delivered
to the people who most
desperately needed it.
1,500 Euros in cash had
been donated, along with
masses of clothes, food, blankets,
toiletries and necessary
tools, to begin the cleanup.
But that was only the
beginning. This flow of help
has only continued and will
continue, through the generosity,
human nature and
community spirit, as more
help continues to be brought
every day.
The Emerald Isle, Urbanización
La Florida, Dehesa
de Campoamor, Alicante,
held a charity day on Tuesday
17th September and
raised 3,700 Euros, with
Help from Home Playa Flamenca.
On Sunday 22nd, Villamartin
Plaza will hold a
massive charity day, with
Help Vega Baja, with some
huge acts, including Abba
Elite, The New Jersey Boys
Costa Blanca, and much,
much more. So far, on the
Villamartin GoFundMe
page, for the relief fund, they
have already raised nearly
5,000 Euros.
On September 23rd, there
will be an event at Flannigans,
Entre Naranjos, 12pm
until 6pm, including Al Joel,
David John Williams, Jady
Jazz and Shannon Campbell.
Also 30th September, at La
Union, La Marquesa, 12pm
until 6pm, an event including
Andy Jones, Jo Jo, Graeme
Alexander as Bowie, Debbie
H and Dean Alexander.
The struggle is real, but
together the Costa Blanca
is proving its metal. United
we stand, together we will
achieve.
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