Orihuela has received more than 200,000 euros in civil aid and subsidies from the Ministry of Interior to cover the emergency costs of damage incurred during last December’s the floods in the city. The Segura River overflowed for the first time since it was rerouted causing flood damage, especially to many local agricultural allotments and properties in the outlying areas of the city.
The mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, said that to date the government has paid a total of 89,042 euros to 39 households that suffered damage during the flood. He made the announcement during during the visit of the Deputy Government Delegate, Juan Carlos Moragues, to Orihuela last Monday, to attend a meeting of the Security Council following the summer attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.
Moragues indicated that “Orihuela was one of the municipalities most affected by the torrential rains. He said that of the aid that was being provided 80% was to family units and 33% to commercial establishments in the city.
Bascuñana said that a further 30,000 euros must be added from the General Direction of Coasts to rectify the damages suffered by the beaches of Punta Prima and Playa La Glea (Campoamor for the use of heavy machinery, extra-excavators, removal of earth, cleaning of canes, as well at the purchase of additional zahorra (gravel).
After the floods, the Consistory requested aid to the Ministry of the Interior for 75,000 euros to cover those direct costs that had to be made to ensure the safety of people, although a much larger amount has been received.
However the bulk of the aid was requested from the Generalitat Valenciana for damage suffered during the storm to infrastructure and public facilities. In total Orihuela has asked for 3.4 million euros to repair roads that were left without asphalt after being flooded by water.
