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Matalascañas Reels From Storm Francis as UME Assesses Damage and Aid Bid Advances

Officials warn sewage infrastructure is exposed near Doñana.

Overview

  • Spain’s Military Emergency Unit carried out night and daytime inspections in Matalascañas and is preparing a technical report to define next steps.
  • Local, regional and national authorities held urgent meetings and are considering declaring the area a “zona gravemente afectada” to unlock emergency funding.
  • The mayor reports about 1.5 kilometers of coastline damaged and roughly 50–60 properties affected, with preliminary repair costs estimated at up to €9 million.
  • Authorities cite urgent risks to sanitation systems, including exposed depuration facilities in Matalascañas and a newly built sewer collector in El Portil that officials say could rupture without immediate protection.
  • The municipality has closed the promenade, deployed sandbags and opened a one‑stop help desk, while national officials float longer‑term options such as relocating the seafront inland that local leaders criticize as ill‑suited to the emergency.