More than 3,000 residents were forced to leave their homes across Andalucia overnight.
The evacuations took place in the Campo de Gibraltar, Ronda and Jaen as Storm Leonardo battered the region, bringing a severe risk of ‘historic’ flooding.
Footage shared online showed Civil Protection cars with megaphones asking residents to leave their homes to be evacuated.
Eslewhere in Cadiz, the Guardia Civil was filmed announcing, also via megaphones, that a red alert was in place.
The Junta de Andalucia confirmed late on Tuesday that 1,618 people had so far been evacuated as a precaution from the Campo de Gibraltar, including San Roque, Algeciras and Los Barrios.
San Roque hardest hit
The worst-affected municipality is San Roque, where 1,018 residents have been evacuated from several vulnerable areas, including Estacion de San Roque, Guadarranque, San Enrique, parts of the Marlin river area in the Port of Sotogrande, and Calle Transito.
To accommodate displaced families, the Ciudad de San Roque Municipal Pavilion has been opened as an emergency shelter.
The Red Cross said it had prepared beds for residents in San Roque in a post on X.
Other residents have been temporarily rehoused in hotels, are staying with relatives, or – in one case – have been accommodated at the hospital in La Línea de la Concepcion, reports Europa Sur.
Further evacuations in Los Barrios and Algeciras
In Los Barrios, close to 200 people have also had to leave their homes, particularly in Benharas, Ringo Rango, Venta San Isidro and Guadaorte, where the risk of flooding remains high.
Meanwhile, around 400 residents have been evacuated in Algeciras, with some being sheltered at the Ciudad de Algeciras – Juan Carlos Mateo pavilion, as authorities continue to monitor the situation street by street.
Sierra de Cadiz
Further inland, six families have been evacuated in Setenil de las Bodegas, rehoused between a hotel and a nearby campsite.
In Torre Alhaquime, around 25 people have left homes in flood-prone areas, while more than 30 residents have been evacuated from Tavizna, a district of Benaocaz.
Malaga province: Ronda evacuations begin
In Ronda, Civil Protection began preventive evacuations at 6pm from flood-risk zones including Llano de la Cruz, Narváez, Tejares and La Indiana, affecting around 20 people. Those displaced are being accommodated in a hotel in the town’s industrial estate.
Authorities say no additional measures are currently in place, but further evacuations remain possible if river levels rise in the worst-hit areas of the province.
Jaen province: Los Puentes
In Jaen, 600 residents remain evacuated in the Los Puentes area. Most are staying with friends or relatives, while the Red Cross has prepared facilities for anyone requiring emergency accommodation.
‘Atmospheric river’ and worsening conditions
The Andalucian Emergency Agency (EMA) has warned that Storm Leonardo is being fuelled by an atmospheric river, a weather phenomenon capable of delivering intense, long-lasting rainfall, accompanied by strong winds.
Emergency officials are urging residents to avoid risk areas, remain vigilant and follow official guidance via the ema112andalucia.es platform.
They stress that early action and prevention remain the most effective tools to reduce the risk of further flooding, landslides or sudden evacuations as the storm continues to impact southern Spain.
