Friends report the presence of many volunteers in their communities, including some from Madrid and Barcelona. There are many heartwarming stories of efforts to provide on site assistance, food, clothing, shelters for pets and pet food.
Oscar Puente, head of Transportation, says that lines C1 and C2 of “Cercanías” (regional trains) will be reopened before Christmas, perhaps C5 and C6 as well. Line C3,the one going south, suffered the most damage. A reopening date has not been estimated. He went on to say that the main highways should be more fully operational in the near future. Secondary and smaller roads are going to take months. On the A7 they are building a bypass for military and emergency access. The A3 to the south was closed due to a collapsed bridge, but they are paving an alternative route. The 330 should be open by now. Source La Sexta
Mazon, the President of the Generalitat (Valencia province) apologized for the much delayed warning. Some 130,000 showed up at the Ayuntamiento (City Hall) in downtown Valencia to protest. There was another protest at the Borja Palace.
On November 11, 2024, La Dirección General de Tráfico says there were more than 22 kilometers backed up. Various important roads in the effected areas are still closed to traffic: the A-7 between Quart de Poblet and Torrent, the CV-33 in Torrent, the CV-36 from Picanya to the A-7, the CV-50 in Chiva. There are 31 smaller routes that are not usable at all.
We took the bus to El Perelló, .located on the beach to the south. Just outside Valencia city we drove past huge numbers of damaged vehicles. We saw no damage to property the entire distance to El Perelló other than the expansion of the lake, called the Albufera. Some farmland is underwater on the east and northern sides. The beaches are littered with reeds. These no doubt came from the Albufera and were washed out to sea before being carried back in. We saw about a half dozen Guardia Civil on horseback looking for bodies. Access to the beach is blocked north of the Estany de la Plana in El Perelló.
Reports from a friend in Catarroja: One of the first things they did was to clean out the storm sewers, removing mud and debris. Heavy rains this week would have resulted in additional flooding.
The bus information screen informed us that fishing in the Albufera has been suspended until conditions return to normal. The Rambla del Poyo that funneled the flood waters empties into the Albufera, causing the conditions leading to the prohibition. Emergency workers have been combing the reeds looking for bodies carried by the Rambla del Poyo.
The screen provided recommendations to volunteers working in effected areas. Equipment: mask, gloves, rubber boots, long sleeves and trousers (no shorts), head and eye cover. They are telling people not to eat or drink while in those zones, and to not put mobile phones next to your face and ears until you have sanitized all surfaces. Where there is no running water people can not use toilets so may be forced to go outdoors. Sewer lines may be broken, spilling sewage. There may be toxic materials in the mud and standing water.
See Las Provincias for photos of clean up efforts.
