Re: Rain yesterday
 

Really feel for the services searching the wreckages for the missing people. The latest figure that I have seen is 155 deaths. Tragic.

Rosemary

Re: Rain yesterday
 

Terrible storms started again now. Just hope that there is not so much rain this time around. At the moment it looks like another three days of rain.

Rosemary

Re: Rain yesterday
 

Oh dear, fingers crossed.

Re: Rain yesterday
 

Well that's not good. It can only hinder the current dire situation.

Re: Rain yesterday
 

A now unfortunately things are not looking good. Logistically it's a nightmare apparently. Firstly part of the A7 around Valencia has collapsed closing the road and other routes are blocked. The Railtrack is also damaged and the Madrid Valencia high speed is not functioning. This is creating problems for transporting food and supplies as local stores have little food. Secondly looting is a problem - not food but goods like jewellery shops and outlets. Some images look like a Zombie film as people rush around with bags full of goods. Some residents cannot leave their buildings as doors are blocked by vehicles and debri and have no electricity or water. It is far from over and now there are warnings of heavy rain again on Sunday.

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Re: Rain yesterday
 

Hundreds of citizens are walking to an affected area complete with trolleys of bottled water and shovels so that they can help survivors. Rescue workers who were driving to one area were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of help that they were to gain from these caring people. Lovely to see them pulling together like this. The centres that are collecting donations of clothing etc are piled high with bags of necessary items.

Rosemary

Re: Rain yesterday
 

Just received details from local town hall of the local appeal for water, biscuits, cereals, baby food, hygiene products but yes transporting them into the areas is going to be difficult.

Re: Rain yesterday
 

In case anyone is in doubt. The regional government in Valencia (PP y VOX) disbanded the emergency procedure and rapid help unit last year - because they didn't like anything that the previous government organised because they are " communists " So take a look at the situation now!!

Re: Rain yesterday
 

The town halls are very good about sending out this sort of appeal and many also provide a collection point and a suitable vehicle to transport the items to the organisers who will have arranged for the items to be delivered to a point near to the affected area. No idea whether this will have been set up but normally these services are excellent at that side of organising.

Cruz Roja are happy to have financial support too which can be achieved via banks, also people can donate via their Amazon account which is very easy.

Rosemary

Re: Rain yesterday
 

Yes the TV is hsowing live pictures of ordinary people arriving with food, water and shovels trying to help

Re: Rain yesterday
 

For those who live elsewhere in Spain, your town or a nearby town may have cultural centre probably called Casa de Valencia or something similar organising a collection for food, clothes, etc...

I see the politicking between central and devolved government has finally allowed all of 500 regular army members to join the UME. Obviously a lot more is going to be needed, I really hope it won't take days before another 500 are allowed to join.

If you saw Horizonte on Cuatro last night (it's easy to forget that Iker Jimenez is also a real journalist), things appeared substantially worse than what was shown on the on the usual news programs.

Re: Rain yesterday
 

People have been videoing throughout and these show how bad it was during the deluge and are now filming the reality of the aftermath. Cars, mud, sticks, rubbish bins etc all piled up on top of each other. The services are all working hard but it is going to take a lot of time for any form of normality to return in these areas.

My town was lucky in so far as the flooding appears to have been mainly on the industrial estate and all of the roads surrounding us. Nobody could get in or out of the town so the surgery and the schools had to be closed. My town hall have been brilliant at keeping us all informed on WhatsApp.

Rosemary

Re: Rain yesterday
 

Just seen an encouraging report on BBC World about volunteers and efforts to clear up - but still shocking to see the devastation and to hear the latest death toll.

Re: Rain yesterday
 

There are some wonderful videos on social media showing the volunteers gathering together, walking to an area and also of them at work trying to clear the muddy water. I hope that the warnings from the Guardia Civil about not driving to the areas affected are being heeded because as usual with any incident such as this the sightseers are unwelcome and a hinderance.

Many towns have been organising lorries to take supplies to the stricken areas so that individuals can help in a sensible manner without becoming a problem to the services. It is heart warming to see how much the people rally around to assist in whatever way that they can. Whether this is helping with the clear up, providing clothing, food and water or providing financial donations, each and every actions is valuable.

Rosemary

Re: Rain yesterday
 

When I arrived at our little village supermarket this morning people were queueing up to buy food etc to donate - then we all took our purchases around to the Casa de cultura and helped load them into vans to be taken down to the main collection point and transported up to Valencia this afternoon - I hope it all arrives and helps the people affected most by this disaster.