Heavy rain has once again struck the Serranía casting fear and terror into weary homeowners and hoteliers who have endured hundreds of thousands of Euros of flooding along the banks of the Guadalcobacin river.
Yesterday the Metereological office upgraded weather conditions in Málaga province to yellow and warned of heavy rain, with expectations of 40 litres to fall in Ronda and surrounding areas.
Sadly their worst case scenario came to fruition with several property owners nervously waiting the night out as rain and rising streams threatened to flood their homes for the third time since Christmas.
In the Llano de la Cruz guests at a popular local hotel, the Molino del Puente were woken at 4am and evacuated from their rooms as rising river waters overwhelmed the storm water drains leading to flooding in several ground floor rooms.
Another local hotel, the Don Benito was spared the flooding but parts of the access road have been damaged as fast moving water ripped at the road base causing some erosion. Further upstream several local property owners were today trying to clear fallen trees that are blocking small streams as they enter the Guadalcobacin river.
In Ronda a rising stream forced the closure of Camino de los Tejares in the early morning, and nearby olive farmers situated between the Carretera de Ronda (A-397) and Calle de Marbella (C3) were this morning attempting to shore up low lying fences from eroding into the street.
EGMASA, the state owned company responsible for clearing Andalucía’s many waterways is this week gearing up for a large operation to tackle cleanup in the Serranía, with parts of the Guadalcobacin river believed to be on their list of urgent work needed.
Ronda’s councillor for the environment Alberto Orozco confirmed yesterday that as soon as the rains stop and workers can get access to streams and water channels they will commence cleanup operations with heavy equipment.
Is your property suffering damage due to blocked waterways? Contact the Delegación de Medio Ambiente at Ronda Town Hall by phone 952 873 240 ext 23 or email del-medioambiente@ronda.es
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain. My articles contain affiliate links that will help you reserve a hotel, bus, train or activity in the area. You don’t pay more, but by using them you do support this website. Thankyou!