The environment and agriculture ministry has started an evaluation of the damage caused by the floods. Information coming in from town halls and the ministry's inspectors will be used in forwarding a list of the damage to the national government's delegation, so that it can decide whether to declare the Balearics a disaster area.
Minister Vicenç Vidal observed that mayors of municipalities affected by the December floods had been displeased at the difficulties in obtaining aid. Now, the islands have experienced two episodes of very heavy rain in a short period of time.
Following a situation of unprecedented drought during which reservoir capacity fell to under 25%, the capacity now exceeds 100% (hence the reservoirs are overflowing). The rain in December, Vidal said, had been positive for farmers and for the aquifers, but because the water from that rain had not drained away, the intensity of the more recent rainfalls meant that the torrents didn't have the capacity to cope. He added that the ministry has also discovered that ditches have been affected by buildings that impede the flow of water to torrents.
The worst hit areas are the Pla de Mallorca around Montuiri and Sant Joan and Sa Pobla and Muro with their potato and vegetable crops. Vidal noted that in Sa Pobla there are "risky practices" to be more competitive by bringing potatoes to market earlier. Consequently, the early crop will be the most affected.
He also spoke about the breach of the harbour wall in Cala Ratjada. This has put the "entire fishing fleet at risk". The government, he said, is already taking action to address this, but he regretted the fact that there had been a particular weakness in the wall for a year and nothing had been done about it.
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