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The latest episode of heavy rain in Benidorm results in up to 25 litres per square metre and no damage

 

• Some of the interventions were due to broken fences or fallen branches on public roads, and Paseo de Colón and Calle San Pedro had to be temporarily closed due to water accumulation.
• Two people were rescued by the local police after being caught in the storm while kayaking

The latest episode of heavy rainfall recorded yesterday Wednesday in Benidorm resulted in up to 25 litres per square metre in 30 minutes and no significant damage. This was reported today by the Councillors for Citizen Security and the Water Cycle, Jesús Carrobles and José Ramón González de Zárate, who explained that “in general terms the city's hydraulic infrastructure responded well to the rain and there were only occasional incidents that were quickly resolved by the Local Police and municipal concessionaires”. 

According to both parties, part of the actions focused on the placement of manhole covers that had been blown up or on the removal of branches that had fallen onto the public road, as well as on the cleaning of debris. Although the rainwater collection systems “worked perfectly in practically the entire city, accumulations of water were occasionally recorded in some points during the moments of greatest rainfall”, such as Paseo de Colón or Calle San Pedro, which were temporarily closed to traffic. In this last street, the Local Police had to assist a vehicle that could not continue its journey. Likewise, the accesses to Poniente beach from Calle Murtal were also temporarily closed. 

González de Zárate recalled that “years ago, during episodes of rainfall of this intensity, there were significant incidents due to the accumulation of water at points such as the confluence of Comunidad Valenciana and Alfonso Puchades avenues, Mediterráneo avenue or Severo Ochoa, all of which have responded very well to yesterday's rainfall.” 

“Thanks to the City Council’s significant investment in the renovation of water infrastructures – he added – these problems have been progressively corrected and Benidorm is responding better and better to rainy situations such as yesterday, with peaks of 25 litres per square metre in just half an hour in areas such as La Cala”. He also specified that “the City Council’s intention is to continue improving and solving problems in areas that may still be pending”. In fact, “a project has already been approved to act on the wastewater network of Elche Park”. This action, for which permission has already been requested from the Provincial Coastal Service, will be carried out by the Water Sanitation Entity (Epsar), dependent on the Generalitat Valenciana.

The Councillor for Public Safety has explained that the most striking action was the rescue by a Local Police boat of two people who were surprised by the storm while kayaking near the island of Benidorm.  

Shortly after the rain stopped, the city had returned to absolute normality, with the exception of the Julio Iglesias auditorium and the Óscar Esplá amphitheatre in the Parque de l'Aigüera, which were closed to pedestrians due to the accumulation of earth carried by the rain. By early morning, both facilities were already operational again after the debris had been removed. 

In total, during the hour that it rained approximately, 30 litres were collected at this point - 25 of them in just 30 minutes - while in the Centre 28 litres fell, around 16 in Rincón de Loix and 18 in the area around the water treatment plant.