Locals in Grazalema have spoken of their fears after their town became the ‘ground zero’ of Storm Leonardo, claiming they have ‘never seen anything like it.’
The entire Cadiz municipality was evacuated on Thursday after it became literally submerged by flood water.
Videos shared online show water gushing out of walls, floor tiles and plug sockets.
Authorities ordered the full and mandatory evacuation after record-breaking rainfall saturated underground aquifers.
Lucas Narvaez, a local resident and coordinator of a volunteer support group for those affected, said the scale of the flooding is unprecedented.
‘People are calm, considering the circumstances, but also very nervous. We’ve never lived through anything like this,’ he told Spanish media.
Narvaez, who has now left Grazalema and is in Malaga, said residents were hurriedly packing bags, with many booking hotels for several nights amid uncertainty over when they might be able to return.
‘Everything is flooded, especially the lower part of town,’ Narvaez explained, adding that ‘the streets are sinking; a small sinkhole started it all.’
Since Wednesday alone, more than 660 litres per square metre of rain have been recorded in Grazalema – on top of an already exceptionally wet January, one of the rainiest in local memory.
The decision to evacuate has been publicly backed by both the village’s mayor, Carlos Garcia, and the president of Andalucia Juanma Moreno.
Moreno visited Grazalema on Thursday alongside other flood-hit areas of Cadiz.
According to regional authorities, Grazalema’s subterranean aquifer system is completely saturated.
‘When an aquifer fills up,’ Moreno explained, ‘the water has to come out somewhere. That pressure builds against walls and foundations, and can cause landslides, ground movement or structural damage to streets and homes.’
In recent hours, new seepage has been detected inside buildings, increasing fears of sudden ground instability.
The evacuation was carried out gradually throughout Thursday, with residents transported by bus and official vehicles to the El Fuerte sports pavilion in Ronda.
The situation in Grazalema forms part of a broader emergency across southern Spain. Authorities estimate around 7,000 people have now been evacuated across Cadiz and Malaga, as Storm Leonardo continues to dump heavy rain on already saturated ground.
Access roads to several towns remain flooded, and emergency services are on high alert as further rainfall is forecast.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
