Storm Leonardo Causes Widespread Flooding in Spain and Portugal, Thousands Evacuated
Storm Leonardo unleashed torrential rains across Spain and Portugal on Thursday, causing widespread flooding, evacuations, and at least one fatality. In Andalusia, Spain, approximately 4,000 people were evacuated as rivers burst their banks, inundating towns and villages, according to Euronews. Schools were closed and rail and road links were suspended in several areas.
The village of Grazalema in Cadiz, Spain, was particularly hard hit, with over 600 liters of rain per square meter falling in just 36 hours, according to AEMET, the Spanish meteorological agency. Police in Cadiz were forced to wade through waist-deep water to rescue people trapped in an abandoned building. Civil Guard officers were searching for a woman missing near Malaga, believed to have fallen into a swollen river.
Portugal also felt the brunt of Storm Leonardo. Euronews reported that one man in his 60s died near Serpa after his car was swept away by floodwaters. Around 200 people were evacuated on Wednesday as the Sado River overflowed, leaving Alcácer do Sal underwater. Despite sandbags placed outside shops, waist-deep water covered the town's main avenue. Since Sunday, emergency teams in Portugal have responded to more than 3,300 incidents, including floods, fallen trees, and landslides. The alert level remains high as forecasters warned of another storm approaching.
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