Region hit by storm in Spain declared disaster zone
Spain’s government has classified the Autonomous Community of Madrid and eight other regions affected by the Storm Filomena as disaster zones
Over half a meter of snow fell on Madrid in a 30-hour period on 8-9 January. The heavy snowfall also affected the northern and eastern regions of Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Andalucia, Asturias, Aragon, La Rioja and Navarra. The snow and floods had disrupted air, rail and road transport, damaged properties, delayed the return to school and required a major clean-up operation.
Spanish Government Spokesperson Maria Teresa Montero explained that the snowfall brought by Filomena was ‘the worst in intensity and the levels of accumulated snow’ in 100 years, and said that declaring a disaster zone would allow funds to arrive quickly.
Damages estimated to be just under €1.4 billion
Welcoming the government's decision, the Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Begona Villacis, estimated the cost of the storm in the city of Madrid to be just under €1.4 billion. Several streets and pavements in Madrid have yet to be cleared of snow, and hundreds of trees, which fell under the weight of snow have yet to be removed. Public transport has not returned to normal schedules yet, and the heavy rainfall forecast for the Madrid area on Wednesday may lead to further floods and disruption.