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Severe Flooding Devastates Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Prompting State of Emergency
Dramatic video footage has emerged depicting widespread destruction caused by severe flooding in Lanzarote, a popular holiday destination within the Canary Islands. Torrential rainfall overwhelmed the island on Saturday afternoon, inundating homes and roadways and leading officials to declare a state of emergency. Social media videos capture the intense deluge as floodwaters surged through streets following two hours of exceptionally heavy precipitation.
Widespread Damage Across the Island
The circulated clips illustrate the extent of the deluge, revealing roads and parking areas submerged under rapidly flowing water. Numerous vehicles were left stranded in the flooded streets. Expansive areas of land across the island were inundated by brown floodwater that swept powerfully towards the coast. The adverse weather event commenced early Saturday afternoon (April 12), quickly saturating the terrain. The ground’s inability to absorb the excessive rainfall resulted in escalating water levels that channeled towards the sea, causing significant damage.
Arrecife and Surrounding Towns Severely Impacted
The city of Arrecife, situated on Lanzarote’s southern coast, bore the brunt of the intense weather system. Several other towns also suffered considerable damage, including Tahiche, Costa Teguise, Guatiza, and Nazaret.
Consequences of the Deluge
Residents reported a strong odor of raw sewage as the flooding overwhelmed the drainage infrastructure. Riverbanks breached under the immense pressure of the water volume. The Lagomar River, which flows through Nazaret, overflowed its banks, inundating the adjacent areas.
Exceptional Rainfall Levels
According to reports, the worst-affected regions received approximately 60 liters of rainfall per square meter within a two-hour period. This amount surpasses the average monthly rainfall for the UK, highlighting the extreme nature of the precipitation.
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Emergency Response and Previous Storm Disruption
Despite the intense rainfall, some areas of Lanzarote remained unaffected and completely dry. However, the Lanzarote Security Consortium activated the island’s Emergency Plan, which remained in effect until 7:00 AM on Sunday.
The heavy rainfall on Saturday followed Storm Oliver earlier in the week. That prior storm had already caused significant disruption, forcing the cancellation or diversion of numerous flights to and from Lanzarote Airport on Thursday due to hazardous flying conditions.
Flight Diversions Due to Storm Oliver
Several airports experienced flight diversions due to Storm Oliver, including:
- Manchester Airport: Two flights diverted
- Gatwick Airport: Two flights diverted
- Bristol Airport: Two flights diverted
- Cardiff Airport: One flight diverted
- Stanstead Airport: One flight diverted
- Birmingham Airport: One flight diverted
- Dublin Airport: One flight diverted
- Bournemouth Airport: One flight diverted
Public Urged to Exercise Caution
Authorities are now strongly advising the public to exercise extreme caution and to avoid all unnecessary travel as the island recovers from the impact of the severe flooding.