ARCHIVED - 300 litres per square metre in parts of Cartagena as Camping La Manga is evacuated

As predicted, the Cartagena municipality experienced a complicated night, with torrential rains causing major problems for municipal services.

El Algar was the worst hit, accumulating 300 litres of water per square metre, 257 in Playa Honda, 230 in La Puebla, 220 in Los Nietos and 195 in Cabo de Palos.

By 2am in the morning the situation had become so severe that residents of the La Manga caravanning park, areas of Los Nietos and Bahía Bella were evacuated.

Buses from the municipal concessionary ALSA were sent to the Villas Caravanning park to evacuate residents and transfer them to the central sports pavilion in Cartagena where volunteers from the Cruz Roja Red Cross organisation set up beds, providing blankets and food.

In Los Nietos some of those affected by the most intense flooding were able to find safe lodging with friends and family and the remaining 15 who had nowhere else to seek shelter, were taken to the local school which was above the floodwaters.

Personnel from the Spanish Government military emergencies unit, the UME and firecrews from Cartagena transferred some residents from the Bahía Bella area, which is the area surrounding the Rambla de El Albujón at the point at which it disgorges into the Mar Menor, to the CAR sports centre in Los Narejos, although many refused to leave their homes in spite of the obvious risk of flooding.

Local police also unsuccessfully tried to persuade four families living in the Algamecha Chica area of Cartagena, which is an inlet lying below the Navantia dockyards, to leave due to the very real risk of their homes being inundated due to the volume of water disgorging via the Rambla de Benipila, but they refused. A police officer remained in the area overnight to monitor the situation.
The Navantia dockyards remains closed today due to the sheer volume of water flowing down the rambla. The bridge across the rambla is closed, causing traffic problems at one of the main entry points to the city.

Cartagena firemen were also forced to rescue numerous drivers who were caught up in the floods and had become trapped by floodwaters, in spite of the recommendations made by the regional government and emergency services not to drive during a red Gota Fría alert.

Bus services
Most of the bus services in the Cartagena municipality are running, with the exception of urban routes 3-4 and 6, which cross ramblas.
All outlying services are running except the La Manga, Fuente Álamo, Mazarrón and Roche services due to flooding.


The road situation
Cartagena council has urged road users to stay at home unless absolutely necessary as the traffic situation is complicated by flooding and debris on the roads.

Numerous roads are closed:
•
• The roundabout of Severo Ochoa
• Calle Ramón y Cajal
• roundabout del 600 en Ronda Las Unión with Avda. Murcia
• Tentegorra
• Rotonda de la 1900
• Media Sala Avenida Juan Carlos I
• Cruce de Cuatro Caminos
• Road over the Rambla
• Carretera de Canteras
• Old N332 at the crossing of the rambla de Canteras
• Carretera del Sifón to the Polígono Santa Ana
• Carretera de La Mina to Lobosillo
• Carretera del Albujón to Las Lomas
• Residencial Nueva Aljorra
• Carretera del Albujón to La Aljorra
• Various roads in Pozo Estrecho, La Puebla and La Aparecida
• Autovía de La Manga
• Exit at Punta Brava to Los Alcázres.
• Exit for Los Urrutias

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See full background information for the Murcia Gota Fria 2019