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Flood chaos
23 MAR-29 MAR 2012
The British Embassy in Madrid warned people looking to invest in the Spanish property market should avoid “cutting corners” p4
All change on the coast In Orihuela the responsibilities of the Coast and International Residents will be withdrawn and will be without any specific Councillor p5
by louise clarke
Go Ahead: Take the Plunge Many homeowners are taking the plunge into major renovations that are not only going to enhance their lifestyle but also boost the value of their investment p33
Rihanna: the naked truth! It was everyday stuff for Rihanna when she was spotted wearing a sheer top and no bra p50
The football fraternity Find out what still infuriates Andy Kay in football p71
Maureen and Jean were out celebrating Maureen’s Birthday
Thousands paint the coast green, white and gold Early estimates suggest that as many as 8,000 people attended last Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Orihuela. Read the full story on page 16.
TORREVIEJA SUFFERED from some of the worst flooding seen in years on Tuesday after one of the heaviest storms in a decade. As a result most of the city was flooded, causing chaos for thousands of people who were left stranded. Torrential rain began at 4am and before it stopped at 5pm in the afternoon, more than 130 litres of rainwater per metre square fell on the city. Emergency services took more than 200 calls during the day and the main arterial routes into Torrevieja were flooded causing dozens of cars to be left abandoned. One of the worst affected roads was the four lane CV905 which had to be closed to traffic from 9am due to the severity of the flooding and could only be partially opened five hours later. And ironically, some of the vehicles that were trapped lay in the trench that runs parallel to the road and was built to try to ease the problems of storm water disposal in this area a few months ago! Exit roads from the N332 were impassable causing miles of tailbacks on the busy coastal road and the access road into Torrevieja hospital was cut off by a river of fast flowing water coming down the hill from Los Balcones. Praise must be extended to members of the emergency services who really had their work cut out for them during the deluge. Fire fighters and Local Police officers, with the help of Guardia Civil officers, had to help several disabled residents in Calle Ramon Rubial after they couldn’t leave their homes due to the water levels rising to over two feet. Continued on page 3