The Madrid town of Mejorada del Campo is experiencing its second night of uncertainty after the evacuation of fifty residents due to the rise of the Jarama river, which has flooded key areas such as the Raso estate. The river’s flow has increased by an additional meter in the last few hours, severely affecting industrial warehouses, restaurants, and parking lots, while the expected thaw keeps residents and local authorities on edge.
Madrid’s rivers on high alert, threat of thaw follows heavy rainfall
New rise of the Jarama worsens the situation at the Raso estate
Since Friday, the area known as the Raso estate has been one of the hardest hit by the floods. On Saturday night, two more people were evacuated, bringing the total to 50 displaced residents.
The water has risen by an additional meter, affecting parking lots like «la campa», where trucks, cars, and motorcycles have been left exposed. Many owners came on Sunday to rescue their vehicles, fearing that the thaw could worsen the situation even more. «The water has risen very badly, I’m going to take them out of here,» said a driver who came from Ciudad Real to retrieve his trucks.
48 people evacuated in Mejorada del Campo due to the rise of the Henares and Jarama rivers
Million-dollar damages: Warehouses and restaurants flooded
The economic impact is devastating. Enrique, owner of excavation machinery, lamented the loss of equipment and furniture in his warehouse: «A complete disaster, imagine all the machinery destroyed.»
More dramatic is the situation of a local restaurant that had to cancel 200 reservations this weekend and remains closed due to the damages. «Everything is a mess, the chairs, the park destroyed,» described an affected person. Businesses in the area face significant losses and an uncertain future as the water persists.
Three Madrid reservoirs surpass the red warning level
Uncertainty for evacuees: No return date
The 50 evacuated residents have no certainty about when they can return to their homes. Authorities estimate that the return could happen only by Tuesday or Wednesday, but the fear of thaw keeps the alert active. A resident expressed her concern: «They don’t let me access my house and I don’t know how far the water has reached, but it must have reached.» The lack of access to homes exacerbates anxiety among the affected, who are unaware of the real state of their properties.
The Mejorada del Campo city council, aware of the magnitude of the disaster , is considering requesting assistance from the Spanish Government and the Community of Madrid. «We are going to assess requesting aid, I think it is important to have a safety net for the affected municipalities,» said a municipal representative.
Meanwhile, surveillance of the Jarama river continues, as the thaw could further complicate the situation in the coming days.
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