Rains in Camposol swell Mazarrón watercourse but no alert issued while Cehegín beats 75-year rain record
Authorities are monitoring the water levels as flow reaches 100 m³/second
The downpour that hit parts of Murcia this Thursday morning, March 6, led to a sharp rise in the flow of the Mazarrón watercourse, with the Moreras riverbed registering more than 100 cubic metres of water per second. Despite the significant volume, the regional authorities have decided against issuing a mobile alert to residents for the time being.Rainfall of up to 50 litres per square metre was recorded in just one hour across urbanisations such as Camposol and Condado de Alhama, as well as the district of Cañada Romero. Although the mayor of Mazarrón, Ginés Campillo, clarified that the rainfall was not technically ‘torrential’, it was still sufficient to cause the wadi to overflow in some lower-lying areas.
“It was not torrential rain,” Campillo said, “but it was enough to cause the rambla to overflow at some points on the lower banks.” He explained that the wide but shallow nature of the wadi allowed the water to drain quickly, bringing the situation under control by Thursday morning.
However, concerns arose when the flow reached levels similar to those seen during the October DANA last year, when an ES-Alert was issued advising residents to stay away from flood-prone areas. On this occasion, the regional government and the Directorate General for Emergencies have opted to monitor the situation rather than send an immediate warning to the public.
“I have contacted the councillor Marcos Ortuño and the director general of Emergencies, Pedro Vicente Martínez, as a lot of water had fallen in the Camposol area (flood zone) and we had considered the possibility of sending the alert” to mobile phones, explained Campillo.
With the majority of the rain front retreating north and less rainfall expected for the rest of the day, Emergencias prefers to wait and see how and if water levels fall.
Other areas of concern include the hamlet of Cañadas del Gallego, where heavy rainfall frequently disrupts traffic on roads connecting to Puntas de Calnegre in Lorca. Several secondary roads were temporarily closed due to rising water levels along the Villalba riverbed.
Campillo has reiterated his calls for the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura to increase investment in water infrastructure within the municipality, highlighting the recurring emergency situations triggered by intense rainfall. Municipal workers have been actively working in the streets of Puerto de Mazarrón to mitigate flooding risks.
Meanwhile, further north in Cehegín, local authorities are preparing to request a catastrophic zone designation following the severe rainfall experienced since Sunday. The town has recorded up to 345 litres per square metre, resulting in significant damage to infrastructure, particularly in rural districts. Road closures, school disruptions and damage to sports facilities have been widely reported.
“The truth is that this is a situation that, since the [start of the] historical data that we have since 1950, it has never rained as much as in the last week,” explained Alicia del Amor, Mayor of Cehegín. As a result, the Town Hall is seeking urgent assistance to support recovery efforts in the affected areas.
A wall also fell down at the Cehegín municipal sports centre while adult school classes have been suspended this afternoon in Águilas, Lorca and Puerto Lumbreras due to continuing problems related to the rain there.
Image: Policía Local de Mazarrón
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