Walter Finch
THE Spanish government is facing another hefty insurance bill after approximately 2,000 individuals and businesses in Malaga filed claims for damage from the DANA storm last week.
Javier Salasm, the sub-delegate of the government, revealed during a virtual meeting with 45 town councils has already started paying out through the insurance compensation consortium.
“So far, a total of €83,585 have been paid out, so we are making good progress,” Salas said, according to SUR.
A first DANA storm brought widespread flooding to towns in the province of Malaga at the end of October.
It was followed by another storm – accompanied by an unprecedented Civil Protection alert to mobile phones – which hit Malaga city and surrounding towns on November 13.
The storms wreaked havoc on the region, causing widespread flooding, landslides, and property damage.
The first storm resulted in 1,048 claims, with residents and businesses in Malaga city making 237 claims.
It was followed by Alora with 174 claims, Benalmadena had 159, and Cartama a further 125.
A total of 630 claims related to damage to homes and homeowner associations, while 267 were for vehicles, and 123 for businesses or warehouses.
Last week’s storm added another 819 claims, with the highest numbers reported in Malaga city (565), Alhaurin de la Torre (58), and Marbella (56).
Similarly, most claims involved homes and communities (372), vehicles (233), and commercial properties (180).
The central government’s compensation scheme aims to provide financial relief, with local officials working to ensure affected residents receive timely support.
While the first payments have begun, there is a long way to go to remedy the full scale of the devastation faced by Malaga residents and businesses.
