2010-03-09 04:03:08 - Snow Storm - Spain EDIS CODE: SS-20100309-25244-ESP
Date & Time: 2010-03-09 04:03:08 [UTC]
Area: Spain, , East-Northeastern areas, Damage level: Heavy (Level 3)
Affected person(s): 200000
Not confirmed information! Description: Schools were closed, roads were blocked and power was knocked out on Monday as normally balmy Barcelona and the surrounding region of northeastern Spain was hit by its heaviest snowfall in 25 years. Snowfalls of up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) were forecast for the worst affected areas of the region of Catalonia, prompting the regional government to cancel classes for over 142,000 students at 476 public schools. Schools will remain closed on Tuesday. Power was lost in homes throughout the region, with energy company Fecsa-Endesa reporting 200,000 clients without electricity, mostly in the province of Girona. Emergency services workers helped evacuate some 500 passengers who became trapped on trains travelling between Barcelona and Portbou, on the French border, which became stuck due to the lack of power, said regional interior minister Joan Boada. Thousands of commuters were left scrambling for an alternative way to get home after the blizzard forced the suspension of bus services in Barcelona and the closure of five suburban train lines in the Mediterranean port city. Barcelona city hall ordered the metro system to stay open all night to help people move around the city. Traffic on over 60 roads in Catalonia was either prohibited or restricted. Spain's border with France at La Jonquera was closed because of the snow, leaving some 4,000 trucks stranded, public television TVE reported. While Barcelona's El Prat airport was operating normally, 21 flights out of the airport in nearby Girona were cancelled and nine others were diverted to other cities due to the snow and strong winds, airport officials said.
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20:03 | 
Publicado por
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