Damage from Storm Gloria runs into tens of millions, say authorities

The Catalan authorities are starting to count the cost of Storm Gloria, which for five days last week battered Catalonia with torrential rain and strong winds, causing damage to infrastructure, property and farmland, while also taking the lives of four people.

Catalonia's northern region of Girona was one of the areas hardest hit by the storm, and on Wednesday local towns published their first estimates of how much it might cost to repair the damage from the wind and flooding, putting a provisional figure of 32.5 million euros.

Yet, the figure is only an estimate as it does not include all the damage to all of the towns in the region, some of which still have to report their losses. The two types of town affected in Girona were those close to the Ter river, which burst it banks, and those on the coast.

The former saw flooding erase rural tracks and fields, while also damaging the local water supply network. Baix Empordà was the county most affected, with damages of almost 18 million euros, with Torroella de Montgrí the town with the largest bill, at 4.3 million euros.

Beaches swept away, seafronts flooded

Meanwhile, many towns on the Girona coast, which includes the famous Costa Brava coastline, saw their beaches swept away by high waves, and their maritime promenades flooded, with many private seafront businesses and residences also badly affected.

One example is the popular holiday resort of Tossa de Mar, which has reported costs of two million euros to repair the damages it experienced. Apart from restoring beaches and urban fixtures, many roads as well as the public lighting system needs fixing.

As with all of the other towns that have published their estimated costs, the figures do not include private costs to individuals and businesses. In Tossa's case, that figure already stands at 1.8 million euros, raising the total provisional costs in the town to 3.8 million.

Area north of Barcelona also hard hit

Yet, Girona was not the only region in Catalonia that received the brunt of Storm Gloria, as the Maresme area just north of Barcelona was also hard hit. Some 22 of the 30 local authorities in Maresme put the provisional costs on Tuesday at 40 million euros.

As with Girona, that figure is expected to go up in the coming days and weeks, as more towns in the county report their losses, and after the damage has been evaluated in some areas that still remain inaccessible. 

Also north of Barcelona is the city of Badalona, which says the costs to repair the storm damage, mostly on the seafront from high waves and wind, is at least seven million euros, with the city's historic pier, the Pont del Petroli, being one of the main casualties.

Major damage in south and west

Meanwhile, to the south of the Catalan capital lies El Prat de Llobregat, which has estimated that it will need to spend half a million euros on repairing the storm damage, which includes replacing fallen trees and street signs, and repairing areas next to the Llobregat river.

The storm even caused plenty of damage to areas that are nowhere near the coast, such as in the western region of Lleida. As an example, the Lleida town on Alcarràs (Segrià) said repairing the storm damage will cost at least 73,000 euros.

Yet farther south, the Ebre Delta wetland area saw its very survival threatened by the storm. Over 3,000 hectares of its rice fields were flooded with seawater and 20% of its seafood production was wiped out, with costs currently put at nine million euros and rising.

Costs of €11m to agriculture, says government

The Catalan government also began reporting on the costs caused by Storm Gloria, with the agriculture department on Monday saying that the costs to agriculture around the country could be 11 million euros, and that this amount would be made available in loans and aid.

With many places needing help in recovering from the storm, including emergency state aid, Catalonia's 13 chambers of commerce have called for policies to help overcome the storm, as well as efforts to move towards a new economic model to respond to climate change.