Storm "Marta" devastates fields in Spain and Portugal: agricultural losses reach hundreds of millions of euros
Kyiv • UNN
Storm "Marta" caused floods and landslides on the Iberian Peninsula, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people. The agricultural sector of Spain and Portugal suffered losses of hundreds of millions of euros due to flooded crops and destroyed infrastructure.
The Iberian Peninsula has found itself at the epicenter of a powerful natural disaster, which has brought catastrophic floods, landslides, and destructive gusts of wind. As a result of storm "Marta," which hit the region on Saturday, February 7, thousands of people were forced to evacuate, and the agricultural sector suffered unprecedented losses due to flooded lands. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
In Spanish Andalusia, the situation is assessed as critical: more than 11,000 residents have left their homes, and about 170 roads remain blocked. Farmers' organizations report millions in damages, as thousands of hectares with broccoli, carrot, and cauliflower crops are under a thick layer of water.
This is a real natural disaster. The rain is continuous, the harvest is destroyed
Portugal also reports severe consequences of the bad weather. The country's Ministry of Agriculture has preliminarily estimated losses in the agricultural and forestry sectors at 750 million euros.
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The situation is complicated by disruptions in railway communication and meteorologists' expectations of further storm intensification in the coming days.
Seismic tremors and orange alert level
In addition to floods, the bad weather has provoked dangerous structural soil shifts. Residents of the Serranía de Ronda mountain range reported earth tremors that have been ongoing for several days. Local authorities assure that there is no direct threat, but urge people to be vigilant due to the risk of landslides. Due to extreme weather conditions in Spain, a La Liga football match between "Sevilla" and "Girona" was even postponed.
Currently, the state meteorological agency AEMET has declared an orange alert level. New downpours, heavy snowfalls in mountainous areas, and dangerous storm waves on the coast are forecast. Farmers are already preparing appeals to the governments of both countries with a request for urgent financial assistance to restore their farms.
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