Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 5:22am
Hi Dave, thanks for the interest. This is what I sent in answer to emails from other concerned friends:
Left here 7.00 am Friday for Elche hospital. Had to make attempt as M needed more cancer pills. Nearly didn't make first Km. Couldn't see the road and went off it. Fortunately not a big drop off so was able to get back on.
Road to and out of Almoradí flooded in several places. With big wheels was able to get through it. If engine hadn't had a shield under it, or even worse had an old style HT coil, distributor and plug leads, I wouldn't have left home. Definitely wished I'd had a diesel.
After Dolores road wasn't bad.
Several hours at hospital. Oncologist happy and prescribed pills.
Got back to Dolores and road to Almoradí closed. Down San Fulgencio road and through Daya Nueva to Almoradí.
Road to Rafal closed at El Cruce crossroads. Back to Almoradí and up towards Benejúzar then along to ITV and up to Rafal. Some long flooded sections - probably at least 25cm deep.
All roads out of Rafal closed.
Fortunately friends spotted us and we spent night with them.
All roads in Rafal were rivers. One lad on a lilo was surfing down the high street.
Bomberos had evacuated a lot of properties and bunged mattresses in the town hall cinema. Local police got everyone to park on pavements to get them as high as possible. Lots of helicopters about, and had to winch up some people.
Another downpour and thunderstorm at 4.00 am Saturday morning, but when we got up in the morning Rafal roads didn't look too bad.
Tried to get home.
All normal options impassable.
Couldn't get under motorway to head up other side.
Ended up going down to Quesada, back up to Guardamar exit where AP7 was barriered off. Couldn't turn left so went to Guardamar and up N332.
Tried cutting through bottom road in the La Marina urb but impassable.
Further up N332 and across to Elche and onto A7.
OK down to Granja and then down to Callosa.
Back lane to our house passable, but had to turn round and try another lane at one point, then had to park and explore flooded section with legs to see how deep it was.
Finally got back home after doing over 100 km for what we normally do in 3 km.
Front veranda covered in an inch of liquid mud.
Inside house and workshop dry, but lots of water stains on suspended ceiling tiles.
Garden a disaster.
Pool overflowing and totally opaque, even though I'd checked and dosed it Wednesday and drained it down a good bit Thursday.
Haven't looked yet but suspect lake that was a garden will have got into pump cassette and blown pump. Should have turned pump power off before we left - expensive mistake.
Segura broke its banks at Benejúzar and Algorfa at least, and what we saw passing over it at Algorfa looked worse than last time it happened.
Supposedly worst gota fría in a century.
Just found out ELCB in garage tripped. Not brave enough to look in pump cassette today.
If I can get into Rafal tomorrow I'll be bringing back a couple of evacuees so they don't have to spend a third night in the town hall.
Just having another brew before we go back to wallowing in glorious mud.