Heavy rain brought chaos to the Canary Island of Lanzarote on Saturday, flooding hundreds of homes and cutting off roads as emergency crews scrambled to respond.
In just two hours, around 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) of rain drenched the island—a rare and intense burst that led local authorities to declare a state of emergency late into the night. Although no injuries were reported, the flooding caused widespread disruption.
The emergency status was lifted by Sunday morning, but cleanup operations remain ongoing across several towns.
Enrique Espinosa, who heads Lanzarote’s emergency response team, described the aftermath as extensive. “Some homes ended up under water, and the mud left behind is substantial,” he told local outlets. “We handled around 300 emergency calls overnight, mostly from Arrecife and Teguise.”
Officials confirmed over 150 incidents in Costa Teguise alone, and more than 70 in the capital city, Arrecife. San Bartolomé was identified as one of the worst-affected areas.
Social media was flooded with dramatic videos showing torrents of water rushing beneath bridges, carrying debris and leaving vehicles stranded on submerged roads.
Lanzarote, like much of the Canaries, is particularly susceptible to flooding during heavy rainfall. The region’s arid environment and porous volcanic rock make it difficult for the land to absorb large amounts of water quickly, increasing the risk of flash floods.
The deluge was the result of Storm Olivier, which has battered the Canaries, mainland Spain, and parts of Portugal in recent days. The storm system triggered a series of weather alerts across the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain’s national weather agency has warned that more turbulent weather is on the way, with alerts in place from Sunday through Tuesday. Forecasters expect thunderstorms in the northeast, rainfall across the Balearic Islands, and strong winds on both northern and southern coastlines.
As the cleanup continues in Lanzarote, residents are bracing for possible further disruptions—and hoping the worst is behind them.
