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ARCHIVED - Murcia Town Hall prepares for another gota fría storm
The flood prevention reservoir of Santomera is still half full after the flooding of September
All the indications are that the gota fría storm which is forming over eastern Spain is unlikely to bring a repeat of the destructive flooding of just over 5 weeks ago to the Region of Murcia, but nonetheless the Town Hall in the regional capital is taking precautions in case the Aemet forecast changes.
In mid-September the River Segura came within centimetres of breaking its banks in the centre of Murcia as floodwater ran into a barrier formed by reeds blocking the arches under the bridge near the Auditorio Víctor Villegas, and council workers have been busy over the last few days clearing as much undergrowth from floodwater channels as possible. Similarly, extra efforts have been made to clear drains in anticipation of possible heavy rain on Tuesday 22nd October, although the latest forecast is far less dramatic than was the case in September.
Meanwhile, another cause for concern in the event of a cloudburst is that the reservoir of Santomera, which was built mainly as a flood prevention infrastructure, is still almost half full following the September gota fría. 5 weeks ago the flood gates had to be opened as the water level in the reservoir rose to the top of the dam, but of the 21 cubic hectometres which were collected despite the collapse of floodwater channels and the opening of the flood gates, 11.55 still remain, meaning there is effectively less space available for the collection of any water from future flooding – it is for this reason that in normal conditions the reservoir is maintained at only around 10 per cent of capacity.
The reason for so much water having retained is that it is highly saline and therefore unsuitable for use in agriculture. If more water is released, it will eventually flow into the River Segura and from there into the network of irrigation ditches in the Vega Baja, where it would have a negative effect on the crops being grown there.
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