Rob Horgan 
FLOODS are causing major road problems on the Costa del Sol.
Roads have been turned into rivers as drivers battle through the waves.
Mijas is particularly badly hit after a night of heavy rain.
https://twitter.com/juanlumateo/status/658558804129378304/video/1
Images and videos of floods in Malaga and Churriana have also appeared on Twitter as the rain continues to fall.
https://twitter.com/Stevie92vz/status/658560428155478016/video/1
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The drains in Spain just don’t do anything,
Don’t be so anti-Spain Dan. lol.
Could any country cope with this amount in a short time?????
Being a frequent visitor to Spain and fortunately not often flooding occurs in Spain but for a country like England where I live and is known for rainy weather and of dramatic flooding one would have thought the various councils in the UK should provide adequate drainage.
This is just one example of damages caused, and naturally too many to list on this forum, but easy to look up on the internet. Example for those that miss England
“http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-flooding-in-the-uk-2014-2”
Conversely, Spain is not known for its rainy weather, so you’d think they’d be on top of the problem by now, after all they have the majority of the year to plan for it. It was reported last week that Spain enacted its rain emergency plan on the Costa del Sol after the worst storm of 2015 hit. Doh.
Fred, the same would go for the UK. Doh
Ham, no it would not be the same because the rainfall pattern is completely different on the Costa del Sol than it is for the UK. Of course floods are a global problem, but we don’t want to go off-topic and talk about the UK floods on a Spanish website in an article entitled “floods hit Costa del Sol” do we now? Fact is that that in Spain, and you’d perhaps know this if you lived here, these floods are exacerbated by poor planning and poor town infrastructure design.
All this whingeing isn’t good for you Fred. Go back to the UK as you obviously have such a poor opinion of the set up in Spain. Come back to the efficient Brits struggling with “leaves on the line”, “wrong kind of snow” and sink holes in St Albans. And stop whining ffs.
Well of course Squiddy, for those readers who don’t know, you _did_ go back to the UK after your business in Spain failed, so it’s a bit of a cheek to tell me to go back when I have a successful business here (and in two other European countries also). I do have a poor opinion of some aspects of the set-up in Spain, but at least I am commenting on Spain, and not a different country. You just need to accept that other people have opinions and keep to topic.
Fred, it was just an example that flooding is a Worldly problem not just in Spain and no amount of drainage or money thrown at this problem would forever solve this problem in Spain, and perhaps expanding your mind slightly the odd flooding in Spain is rather limited compared to flooding in other country’s. One cannot stop rain and Spain like other country’s do their best to contain damages caused by flooding, not fully, but the best. No country how rich they are have conquered this problem.
Ham, yes I have said on other threads that flooding is not unique to Spain, that was never the debate to begin with by the way. This doesn’t detract from Spain’s poor drain management and poor infrastructure, evidence of which can be seen on a daily basis, and when you live here it is of course more apparent, and I confine my comments to Spain you appreciate, and not other countries.
Breaking away from Spain & floods.
Fred you appear to relish someone who may have found difficulty in running a business in Spain and no doubt there were many like “Give us an English Quid” that also may have failed but at least he gave it a try and it’s fortunate that you have a thriving business in Spain and in two other country’s, but it shows poor character on your behalf in trying to belittle someone that has failed in business. I take my hat off to both, those that have tried and failed and those that have tried and are successful. Shame on you. lol
Ham, so you are back again with yet another new alias lol. OP please take note. Anyway, people who use multiple identities to troll this forum, and many others, over many years, have no credibility to begin with. You are going wildly off-topic again btw, your speciality of course.
Perhaps a peek at The Netherlands might give Spain some hints on anti-flooding measures. And you Ham.
Good one quid!!!!!
Lol, I am not anti-Spain but am critical of some of the daft stuff that goes on here. The small country road we use was re done some years ago at great expense and included impressive storm drainage channels at each side. These work great when maintained, trouble is, they never have been. They are full of debris, weeds, small trees and locals dump their rubbish in them! lol. The net result is that when it rains heavily all the water ends up on the road, damaging the new asphalt and washing up all the debris. The other day on the news a family in Cadiz were describing how their home has been badly flooded the last 6 times it has rained!
Stefanjo. I doubt if Spain, or in fact other country’s could learn much from the Netherlands regarding flooding as 25% of their land mass is below sea level anyway. You see, “The rain in Spain falls mainly” not only “on the plain” but runs to the sea. I think enough has been said about the flooding’s in Spain don’t you think and hope your reply was a little prank. WARNING, you may get a response from Fred for mentioning another country other then Spain. Da.
No prank Ham, but a serious comparison. As you wisely point out, a large portion of Holland lies below sea level, yet much more rain falls on that country than Spain, but still the Dutch manage to get rid of it (uphill!) and out to sea. Lessons could be learned.
By the way, your “Da” kind of gives the game away…. Welcome back, we need a laugh.
Good morning to all expats living on the Costa del Sol. I see you are having wonderful sunshine and no doubt warm weather to come on the Costa with no flooding, yet, what’s this, I see no input from the downers of Spain regarding this. Wish I were there, away from the nasty bleak weather of the UK.
Ham, I suggest you and read the headlines of this very publication for news of the recent floods, some of the worst ever recorded. Spain is bleak in winter too btw, but you’d know that if you lived here of course.
Fred, I suggest you spend the winter in the UK then you will really know the meaning of bleak. Btw is the flooding there any different to flooding elsewhere.
Ham, I have spent dozens of winters in the UK so nothing new to learn there. it is the causes of flooding that concerns me, and I refer to flooding in towns on the Costa del Sol, which I have direct experience of. Now don’t start getting rude and personal again will you? You know what happened the last few times you did that lol.
Does anyone really believe that someone who spends so much time whining about the country he lives in, is really a “Richard Branson” with successful businesses in different countries? Own up Fred you’re trapped in a place you hate, and your only pleasure is moaning about it day after day.
Squiddy, clearly you are trapped in the UK, otherwise why did you move away from Spain, a place you clearly love so much. You are the one who posts on multiple forums using multiple aliases and so I would be inclined not to believe anything you say, as your motive is deception. It took me a decade to get a successful business up-and-running, but it’s not worth me telling you anything about it since you would only ridicule it more, and it would only depress you in any event.
Ham where are you in the UK to be experiencing your nasty bleak weather. I’m currently in the UK and we’ve had incredibly mild even warm weather for the time of year, very sunny yesterday, rain this morning but now sunny again?
As to flooding issues in Spain. Where our property is not so far from Marbella we have drains, however they don’t cope with Winter rains very well each year. However we know plenty of people who live slightly inland up hills and down dales in Andalucia who suffer from poor drains (or none as such), and serious ground instability most Winters which lead to cracking of their walls and worse still their pipes running under their properties. Flash flooding often occurs due to the ground being so dry most of the year, it can’t soak up sudden storm water.
Fred I doubt very much that you have spent a WHOLE winter in the UK as of late due to running such a successful business in Spain and other country’s. If you note I did mention “Breaking away from Spain & floods”, and for a start I was not being rude or personal but speaking the truth and giving my point of view as to how a so called business person should present themselves and if a person cannot handle being criticized then they need some form of management help. Not quite sure what you mean about what happened last time, what time are you talking about. But what I would suggest to a so called business person is to moderate your name calling to other people and ridiculing their failure in business, now that’s what I call rude and personal. But that’s not your style is it.
Ham, I did reside in the UK before buying in Spain, so yes, I have spent many whole winters in the UK in the past. Of course you’d know about criticism, since you’ve been banned so many times for ad hominem attacks on this blog – quite ironic that you’d offer advice on such a matter. Let Squiddy speak for himself btw, are you his Dad? lol
Mike are you telling me that the UK does not have bleak weather due to intermittent days of sunshine. I look forward to your response in a few months time, and may I add, not will it be just bleak, but devastating, with heavy snow, sludge, frost, ice everywhere and freezing weather conditions which effects all forms of transport. Regardless of where I live in the UK, England is not known for it’s wonderful climate such as one would expect to find in Spain even with all it’s flooding problems. I spent one week at my sister house in Surrey in August this year and the heavens opened every day, which I grant you, a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds for a few brief moments, now I call that bleak, don’t really know what you would you call it.
As for the flooding in Spain, I agree, much more could be done, although the part of Spain I visit on the Costa Del Sol drainage has been carried out. I’m not condoning any flooding in Spain but my point has been flooding occurs in most country’s regardless if drainage is good or bad and it’s unfortunate that it hits a certain section of the country and people more then others. But it’s Spain, what would you expect. No point moaning by putting pen to paper as we can moan about most things even here in the UK.
I think we should be kinder to Fred. He’s obviously on his uppers in a country he hates (given he is always whining about the place). I don’t believe for one minute he is a successful businessman as he would surely live in a place he likes if that were the case? Perhaps we could have a whip-round to get Fred a ticket home? I’d certainly contribute and I’m sure other posters would too.
Squidling, you must stop projecting all these negative thoughts. Businesses can be run from an armchair these days, you are so behind the times lol. No need for the whip-round, the coffers are brimming. What makes you think I don’t live in places I like? Residency is only 183 days out of 365, after all. Sorry to hear you are trapped in the UK, why not rent in Spain? Makes no sense to live in the UK if all you do is talk about Spain.
Stefanjo surely your not comparing the water works of Holland to Spain. Two different scenarios for two different reasons. One is mainly the flooding by sea and the other the flooding by rain, and although Holland my receive a greater rainfall then Spain, Holland has to also adapt mainly to land below sea level. I’m not sure if you live in Spain but could you direct me to waterways, dykes and sea gates in Spain. Btw, we also have a similar gate in the UK, it’s called the London Barrier which stops London being flooded by the sea.
It’s not rocket science to know that water can travel up hill whether by human force or by nature.
You make my point for me in your latest incarnation Ham. Not only do the Dutch keep the sea OUT they also cope with heavy rainfall successfully as well, because they CARE.
Spanish “waterways”, as dangly notes, are invariably clogged because NO-ONE cares.
Give us an English Quid,
Not on your Nellie, prefer to spend my 5 quid on a cup of cappuccino.
Stefanjo, I think you may have misunderstood my reply regarding the type of flooding’s between Holland and Spain and of the different in scenarios. I was not confirming your input on Holland but was stating facts. The devastation that Holland suffered due to flooding effected the survival of perhaps the whole nation due to the loss of life of almost two thousands of people in just one night caused by flooding. Seeing that approximately 25% of the land mass is also below sea level something drastic had to be done. Vast traits of land including large farms where compulsory purchased in the great plan of diverting this over spill of water. This is completely different from the flash flooding that occurs in Spain or in fact anywhere. For a start Spain is not below sea level so that problem does not exist and would assume that if the loss of life on the scale that occurred in Holland drastic measures would also be taken in Spain and although they perhaps do their best in trying to contain this sudden down pour, tragic consequences do happen. No country is void of this fact even country’s that have a so called adequate drainage system. The UK has perhaps one of the best (within reason) drainage system but mass devastation occurs in towns, villages and country sides due to flash flooding. This can easily be verified via the internet including photo’s of such affected area’s caused by flash flooding in the UK as in the case posted on OP regarding Spain. We know it require a dramatic incident on a massive scale before any Government step’s in to take action and afraid that flash flooding in Spain is not classed in this category, it’s a one off thing, so to speak, as far as the government is concerned leaving the local councils to clean up the mess.
I know Spain is not the richest country in the world, but they do their best. So please no more about flooding. Btw, could you please direct me to a country that is perfect in every sense of the word and I mean perfect in everything. Naturally there is not one. That’s what you have to consider
Trying to be contentious Ham, couldn’t reply earlier as I slept at night like many others do? UK is more Northerly which you should be aware of, and has longer Winters where frost and snow does occur somewhere but not always everywhere such as Southern Coasts, most Winters.
If it’s so bad for you why not move to Spain permanently? Alternatively, why so many young Spaniards moving to UK? Jobs, not weather or drains?
That’s the beauty of having a home in both UK and Spain, we can nip back and forth to suit weather conditions, good working drains in our part of UK, p1ss poor drains not far from our part of Spain and all over the Campo, very mild UK weather at present too here, but out to milder Spain as that changes.
I’ll bite and feed the troll,
Jamon I lived in the Netherlands, just up the road from Zeeland where the fatalities occurred – where the hell did you get the figure of 2000 dead – try 500 +.
Fred, normally I agree with most of what you say but unfortunately you have included yourself in the ‘Spain is sunny club’ again. I think I have seen and experienced an awful lot more of Spain than anyone commenting on the Olive Press forum – NOT ALL OF SPAIN IS SUNNY.
The Costa del Sol is not Spain, it is only a part of a huge country. The whole of the NW is green, very green and this stretches all the way into Cataluyna and why is this – because it rains a lot. The reasons we left NW Galicia is because it rains and rains and rains, nearly forgot to mention the wind. For so long I have wanted to see The Cheiftans live and our last summer in Ortigeuria the Festa Celta Mundo was to feature them and Carlos Munoz, the floutist.
The Galician roadies/morons did’nt protect the control consul, water got in and that was that, this was the middle of July and it was cold enough to need warm clothing.
Strangley the Galicians have no problem with dealing with really,really heavy rain, neither do they in Cantabria,Asturias or Pais Vasco. Don’t any of you living in Andaluz want to see other places in Spain. The Tapas of the NW will leave you realising that most of what Andaluz provides is rather crap in comparison, even more so when you see the beaches.
As someone said Andaluz builds some excellent storm drains but they are useless if there is’nt a proper maintenance programme.
France has suffered mortalities this year again because of people that have no idea about the real world – they went down into underground car parks to save their easily replaceable cars.
the Bouche de Rhone, Var,Gard,Herault, ironically where a lot of rich live have also suffered heavily and why because they have built on flood plains. How stupid do you have to be, to buy properties built at ground level on flood plains.
How stupid do you have to be to buy properties at or near the bottom of hills denuded of trees or on flatlands which act as run-offs – cuidado, cuidado, caveat emptor.
Stuart, what I meant is that most people (esp UK) look at Spain as being “Sunny Spain”. My comments are mainly directed at the Costas, as northern Spain is vastly different, as you point out. A Spain instead of CDS may have slipped in.
Mike, I don’t think I’m being contentious, just stating facts, and lets face it tourists don’t visit the UK for the wonderful weather but for other reason’s mainly sight seeing and purchasing certain goods, whereas tourists visit Spain by the millions purely for the weather. But what puzzles me is why you purchased a place in Spain, but then again I think you answered on own question “That’s the beauty of having a home in both UK and Spain, we can nip back and forth to suit weather conditions”. Am I wrong.
Stew I apologize, it’s 2.335 + lives lost. 1.835 lives lost in 1953 during one night plus the 500 + that you mention. The sad part about this is that the 500 + lives that you mention happened after massive works to remedy this problem had been done, and basically damages to properties in Spain caused by flash floods can be repaired but the loss of life cannot.
What puzzles me Ham is that your christian name, but that aside, we purchased in Spain some 16 years ago for holiday use, pretty good value then, but it’s pretty useless for us in Summer when it’s far too hot from June to September generally. This year Spain had some 3-4 heat waves, so we stay in good old Blighty during Summer. In Winter we go to the U.S. and, Madeira which has a beautiful climate. Family can use our Spanish home if they want.
However owning a home in Spain enables me to disclose many of it’s pitfalls to those considering moving there, similarly as Fred and Stuart and others can and do. It’s just not the paradise naive people think it is and then often regret it. Anyone living in UK can holiday there without the worries of ownership.
Mike, not quite sure what you mean about my Christian name, it’s also a shorten version similar to Mike being Micheal, but besides that millions of people do travel to hot climate country’s purely for the hot weather, you don’t, I don’t and possibly millions of other are in the same position. As you say, you can only state the downfalls of the infrastructure’s in Spain and did you not realize that during those month’s of June to September Spain is hot. But it seems strange that there appears to be a big increase of sales lead mainly by the Brit’s and feel sure it is perhaps of people that are familiar with the things you have pointed out and have visited Spain for holidays before purchasing.
Possibly those same people have done what you had done or will do, purchased a second home, or a holiday home with no intentions of actually living there. I’m not sure what more I could add to this subject. People have a choice of where they wish to live or spend their holidays. People spend holiday’s in Iceland, would you, and if you did surely that would be your choice, but not mine.
Like you I also spend holiday’s in various places especially in California, San Diego, San Jose Mexico and Italy. Not to keen on France, usually drive straight through it on my way to Italy, but that’s my choice. Mike, as the saying goes, each to their own.