Four million allocated for storm compensation

THE Insurance Compensation Consortium (CCS), a public body working under the Ministry of Development, will allocate between €3 to €4 million to compensate those affected by the 1,200 disasters caused by floods in recent weeks throughout the province of Valencia.

So far, the CCS has received 606 compensation claims in Valencia, of which 344 come from Valencia and 283 from Alicante, with just nine from Castellón.

The most affected municipalities in the province were Torrevieja, Alicante airport, Benidorm and Denia, while Valencia has been adversely affected especially the towns of Gandia, Alzira, Algemesí and Xeraco.

Of the 606 applications for compensation, 284 correspond to homes and flats; 202 to cars; 110 to shops and offices; and 10 to industrial properties.

The agency noted that claims after the recent torrential rains were significantly lower than those caused by the floods in the same area in September 2012, which saw over 32,000 claims and more than €210 million in compensation.

In Alicante, the storm dumped 41 litres per square metre in just 40 minutes. Despite the intensity of the rains, the sewer system held up well with floods restricted to San Blas, next to the AVE railway.

In contrast, the city of Torrevieja collapsed under the sheer volume for three consecutive days, in which more than 110 litres per square metre were recorded.