In what was reported as one of the worst storms to hit the Mediterranean coast this season, Spain was battered by a massive tempest that left at least two people dead and nine injured.
The storm known as Storm Gloria raged through much of Spain over this past weekend with winds up to 40 mph and high waves, battering the entire coast from the French border to the Balearic Islands.
According to Spanish meteorological agency AEMET, the storm was caused by a deep depression off the western Mediterranean coast that drew low pressure air forming an extremely powerful atmospheric system, the scale of which had not been seen in Spain in several decades.
The hardest hit areas were those along the Mediterranean coast in the southeast of the country, with the provinces of Valencia, Castellon, Alicante, and Murcia hit the hardest.
The storm has left at least two people dead – an adult and a child – and nine others injured due to strong winds, rough seas, flash floods, and other problems.
In response to the storm, Spain’s central government has declared a state of emergency in the affected regions and deployed teams of experts and emergency personnel to provide aid to those affected.
Additionally, the government has granted the regional authorities the power to appropriate all necessary resources for the relief and recovery effort, including the use of the national contingency fund.
The storm has caused a great deal of damage both directly and indirectly, from flooding and destroyed properties to interrupted transportation networks and power outages.
The Spanish government has advised citizens to stay away from any potentially dangerous areas during the recovery period and to cooperate with the teams of experts sent to help.
For now, Spain is still facing the long and arduous task of recovering from one of the worst storms to have affected the country in recent memory, and the government is doing its best to make sure that citizens remain safe.