Windstorm floods 400 hectares of rice fields with seawater in Deltebre

Local irrigation authorities seek disaster zone status as damages exceed one million euros in the Ebro Delta.

Generic image of flooded rice fields by seawater in the Ebro Delta.
IA

Generic image of flooded rice fields by seawater in the Ebro Delta.

A severe windstorm has flooded over 400 hectares of rice fields in Deltebre, Baix Ebre, this Saturday, after seawater breached coastal defenses in the Ebro Delta.

The storm caused several ruptures in the Fangar area, leading to a massive influx of saltwater into the Canal Vell basin. The Left Ebro Irrigation Community estimates that financial losses have already surpassed one million euros, potentially exceeding the damage caused by the historic Gloria storm.

"There have been five or six breaches and the entry of saltwater into the rice fields. The main goal now is to stop this flow."

Javier Casanova · President of the Left Ebro Irrigation Community
The organization will formally request a disaster zone declaration from the Generalitat. Farmers have warned that if the government does not act swiftly, they will launch their own emergency repairs this Wednesday to prevent further crop destruction.