The Madrid area has been declared a “disaster zone” by the national government after extreme weather and snowstorms left the city crippled. The move means the affected areas can receive financial aid to alleviate the storm damage.
On Tuesday, Spain’s Council of Ministers approved the disaster declaration for the Community of Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha, freeing up vital aid for the storm-hit areas.
Earlier this month, temperatures in the capital reached as low as minus 15.4 degrees Celsius (4.8 degrees Fahrenheit) as storm Filomena swept across Spain. Preliminary estimates from the mayor’s office suggest that the heavy snowfall and storm have caused at least €1.4 billion ($1.70 billion) in damage.
Supermarket shelves have been left bare in some stores after fallen trees and snow drifts blocked roads and damaged critical transport infrastructure.
The city has undergone a mammoth clean-up operation in recent days and most public transport is once again up and running. The operation has involved 4,000 people, 1.4 million kilograms of salt and more than 270,000 liters of brine, according to the mayor.
Madrid’s regional government has warned that heavy rains are forecast for Wednesday, and will likely bring floods and further chaos.
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