After days of relentless torrential rain, parts of Andalusia enjoyed a narrow window of calm on 8 February, allowing emergency services to authorise the return of some of the 11,000 residents evacuated since Thursday. Communities such as Doña Blanca in El Puerto de Santa María, Ubrique in the Sierra de Cádiz and Dúdar near Granada saw water levels fall sufficiently for controlled re-entry.(efe.com)
Hydrologists remain cautious. Subsurface aquifers in Grazalema—ground zero for Leonardo’s record 600 mm deluge—are still over-pressurised, creating subsidence risks that keep 1,500 villagers in temporary shelters. The Guadalquivir river is holding at 5.6 m in Córdoba, double its red-alert threshold, while Lora del Río remains surrounded by water.(efe.com)
![11,000 Andalusian evacuees start journey home as rain pause offers brief relief]()
For travelers whose plans have been disrupted by the floods—or for foreign engineers and relief personnel now heading to Andalusia—VisaHQ can streamline the process of securing or extending Spanish visas. The service offers fast online applications, real-time tracking, and dedicated support even when local consular offices are overwhelmed. More information can be found at https://www.visahq.com/spain/
Business-continuity teams with staff posted in southern Spain should verify local authority clearance before recalling employees to affected housing. Some industrial parks around Jerez and the Bay of Cádiz free-trade zone reopened Sunday afternoon, but insurers warn that property-damage assessments may take weeks. The regional government has requested central funds and EU Solidarity-Fund support; early estimates put infrastructure losses above €420 million.
Transport disruptions linger: Renfe’s Cercanías commuter network still has suspended segments, and maritime links to Ceuta and Tangier, briefly restored Sunday morning, could be halted again if the next front materialises overnight. Companies with cross-Strait operations are advised to keep contingency charters on standby.(efe.com)
Hydrologists remain cautious. Subsurface aquifers in Grazalema—ground zero for Leonardo’s record 600 mm deluge—are still over-pressurised, creating subsidence risks that keep 1,500 villagers in temporary shelters. The Guadalquivir river is holding at 5.6 m in Córdoba, double its red-alert threshold, while Lora del Río remains surrounded by water.(efe.com)
For travelers whose plans have been disrupted by the floods—or for foreign engineers and relief personnel now heading to Andalusia—VisaHQ can streamline the process of securing or extending Spanish visas. The service offers fast online applications, real-time tracking, and dedicated support even when local consular offices are overwhelmed. More information can be found at https://www.visahq.com/spain/
Business-continuity teams with staff posted in southern Spain should verify local authority clearance before recalling employees to affected housing. Some industrial parks around Jerez and the Bay of Cádiz free-trade zone reopened Sunday afternoon, but insurers warn that property-damage assessments may take weeks. The regional government has requested central funds and EU Solidarity-Fund support; early estimates put infrastructure losses above €420 million.
Transport disruptions linger: Renfe’s Cercanías commuter network still has suspended segments, and maritime links to Ceuta and Tangier, briefly restored Sunday morning, could be halted again if the next front materialises overnight. Companies with cross-Strait operations are advised to keep contingency charters on standby.(efe.com)
