Counting cost of the storm

PALMA
THE Balearic government is still counting the cost of the storms which hit the island earlier this month, but it will be another two weeks before it announces how much will be paid out in compensation.

This was revealed yesterday by Margarita Nájera, the government's spokeswoman,.
She said that 2'464 requests for compensation had been received, all but 11 of them related to the storm of October 4. The other 11 were for damage caused during Wednesday's storm.

Two people were killed during the storms - a Danish woman drowned when she was swept away by the raging flood waters on Wednesday and the security guard who sought refuge at Son Espases on October 4 has died in hospital as a result of the injuries sustained when the hut in which he was sheltering was demolished.

Nájera said that all the claims were being analysed to determine the cost of damage caused by the storms and tornadoes to houses, businesses and farms all over the island.

Palma, Marratxi and Santa Maria were the worst hit areas, she said.
Nájera added that the Balearic government is also studying the amount of damages to be paid by the central government, under a decree approved by the Spanish Cabinet to provide aid for the Balearics and other parts of Spain which were devastated by the violent storms. She pointed out that Balearic leader Francesc Antich was “fully committed” to financing the costs which are not covered by the royal decree, although she insisted that the full extent of the damage had not yet been determined.

All the requests for aid are being evaluated by a work group which has representatives of the central government, various Balearic ministries and the town councils affected by the storm.

Nájera said that the government is also analysing the cost of removing toxic waste, such as asbestos from the Can Valero industrial estate, and damage which is not covered by insurance. She added that aid for last Wednesday's storm damage is being handled in the same way as that of October 4, as it has proved to be effective.

INSURANCE COVER
The Consortium of Insurance Compensation (CCS), for its part, will pay out nearly 30 million euros to cover the damage caused by the October 4 storm in Majorca, most of it for damage caused to the Can Valero industrial estate.

According to consortium sources, damages in Majorca, Valencia and Andalucia will come to more than 67 million euros.
The same sources said that of the 30 million euros to be paid in Majorca, 21.3 million are for 480 claims for damage caused by wind, tornadoes and flooding in warehouses and shops, while 6.6 million euros is for damage to homes and 2.1 million euros for damage to vehicles. In Valencia, nearly 7'000 cars were damaged and 25.3 million euros will be paid out, while a further ten million euros will be paid to cover 3'000 claims for property damage.

The CCS is a public entity which pays compensation in cases of terrorism or natural disasters, providing that the property damage has some form of insurance cover.

Between 1987 and 2005, it paid out more than 2'044 million euros in compensation for flood damage.