National
Storm brings havoc to the coast of northern Spain
By m.p.
Mar 11, 2008 - 12:42 PM

A storm affecting the northern coast of Spain has had some of its worst affects in San Sebastían, where 50 or so boats moored in the marina have sunk and massive waves have crashed over into nearby streets, sweeping away lamp-posts and rubbish containers, and damaging parked cars. Europa Press said the railings on La Concha were ripped away, and telephone boxes were destroyed. It’s understood the Town Hall building was also damaged and many other buildings were flooded.

Heavy rainfall in Bakio, Vizcaya province, caused the river to burst its banks, where one woman trapped by the flooding had to be rescued from her home.

In Pasajes, the ‘Maro’ merchant ship which ran aground two miles off Cabo Híguer on Thursday night with 54 tons of fuel on board, broke into three sections on Monday, and there are now concerns now that all its fuel may have spilled into the sea.

A beach in San Sebastián. Photo – EFE.

Also on Monday four people were injured in A Coruña, Galicia, when they were hit by a wave crashing over the paseo marítimo. It also brought down part of the balustrade. Some parts of the paseo marítimo in Gijón, Asturias, were closed off as a precaution on Tuesday morning.

There was more damage on Tuesday morning in Santander, where the high seas swept away cars and flooded into a local hotel, sweeping a car into the hotel’s dining room on the ground floor.