Hozgarganta river bursts its banks as Storm Francis lashes Campo

by Maria Jesus Corrales

Heavy rainfall from Storm Francis in the Campo area caused the Hozgarganta river to burst its banks as it passed through Jimena, forcing the closure of the A-405 road and several bridges, while residents living by the Guadiaro in San Roque were placed on alert level one.

Jimena’s city council said the A-405 was closed at several points due to heavy rain and a major rise in the Hozgarganta river, which it said had exceeded its historical maximum.

The council urged residents not to travel unless it was essential and asked people to report incidents by calling the 112 emergency line.

From 1.00pm on Sunday, Jimena council closed the Puente de la Pasada de Alcalá to vehicles and pedestrians due to the river overflowing and the strong flow, as well as the crossings at Pasada de Tréveris, El Vivero and Marchenilla.

The municipal emergency plan had already been activated at 11.00am due to forecasts of the Hozgarganta overflowing and the possibility of the Guadiaro also bursting its banks.

At that point, the Vereda Real track and access to the adjacent area were closed to traffic.

During the morning, incidents involving the collapse of some walls near the Hozgarganta river were also dealt with, although no injuries were reported.

San Roque city council said residents living near the Guadiaro had been asked to remain on alert in case water levels rose and, in an emergency, to contact 112.

The Local Operational Coordination Centre (Cecopal) and several municipal departments were prepared to respond in different parts of the municipality, the council said.

The acting mayor, María Del Mar Collado, along with several councillors from the governing team visited a number of areas to assess and respond to incidents as they arose.

The most significant incidents so far were a tree falling into a public area and a landslide, the council said.

The Cádiz Firefighters Consortium reported numerous incidents across the Campo de Gibraltar as a result of the rain.

In Algeciras, it said the most significant incidents included flooding on a street; the recovery of a car disabled in floodwater with several occupants inside; the removal of a tree that had fallen onto cars and was obstructing the road; flooding in a home; making a façade safe; and pumping water out of a communal garage.

In Los Barrios, firefighters responded to flooding at a home, a cow that fell into a ditch and flooding on a street, while in La Línea they dealt with flooding on another street, standing water on a road and the removal of a sheet of acrylic due to the risk of it falling.

As often happens during intense rain, the dogs at the Los Barrios shelter were evacuated due to flooding at the facilities.

SOS Canya, the NGO responsible for the centre, said all smaller dogs had already been temporarily re-homed, but not all medium and large dogs.

SOS Canya said: “For many of them we have no information about how they live with cats or children, and some are not compatible with other dogs, which means they can only be placed in very specific fostering or adoption situations,”

“We are very grateful for all the offers to foster.”

“However, we regret to say that at this time we cannot respond to everyone if we do not have a dog suitable for their circumstances,”

The NGO asked people not to call them, but said those who wanted to help should send a message via their contact details or social media including their name and WhatsApp number.

They also asked members of the public not to go to the shelter without an appointment.