Emergency teams manage to enter Secadero, the 'ground zero' of Leonardo in Málaga

Aid has already arrived at El Secadero, the core of Casares with 1,500 inhabitants, isolated due to the overflowing of the Guadiaro River as a result of ... the storm Leonardo. The Provincial Fire Consortium of Málaga has already established a post within El Secadero to assist the population, where teams from Civil Protection, the Red Cross, healthcare personnel, and firefighters are already present.

The arrival of aid was made possible because the emergency teams made "great strides" overnight and were able to enable a land entry route through the rural area known as Los Pinares; "a passable route only for 4x4 vehicles," through which essential supplies such as blankets, flashlights, and chargers have already been transported, according to the Casares City Council.

Subsequently, a mobile ICU unit arrived at the center, the pharmacist was relocated (until then the City Council had a key to access the pharmacy), and a helicopter has been stationed at the fairgrounds, which would allow not only the evacuation of the residents of El Secadero but also those from the nearby town of San Martín del Tesorillo, located less than a kilometer away, who would be evacuated by air to the center of Casares if necessary. The Advanced Command Post (ACP) of Casares Costa, from where the operation is coordinated and directed, has also taken over the management of the Tesorillo emergency, as reported by the Andalusian government delegate in Málaga, Patricia Navarro. The school in the area is already equipped with a hundred beds in case evacuations are necessary.

Before this land route accessible to emergency teams was enabled, aid had already begun to arrive via the overflowing Guadiaro River through boats from the Special Group of Underwater Activities of the Civil Guard (GEAS) and the aquatic unit of the Provincial Fire Consortium. On board, they transported essential products purchased by the Casares City Council, a generator, and fuel to cover the population's needs "in these difficult times." Until then, the strong currents had prevented the arrival of boats, and even the Military Emergency Unit (UME) had only been able to reach it by diving.

The arrival of the firefighters and the Civil Guards via the Guadiaro was met with "emotion and great anticipation", as it not only meant the entry into the core of Casares of essential items but also receiving "support, commitment, and the certainty that they are not alone," as emphasized by the Casares City Council. Residents have experienced critical hours, without electricity, mobile coverage, a doctor, or the possibility of accessing food and essential items other than those they had at home.

The path opened through the rural area of Los Pinares remains currently operational, but on the A-2102 road, which connects El Secadero with the Coast and the province of Cádiz, the road surface has split across the entire width of the roadway, and work is underway to enable "an alternative access" to El Secadero.

Looking at the Guadiaro and the weather forecasts

Meanwhile, attention remains on the river and the weather forecasts. "The levels of the Guadiaro River channel have dropped overnight, although heavy rains are expected to return tomorrow and there is the possibility that the municipality of Casares, along with the Serranía de Ronda, will be on red alert again," according to the City Council.

Aemet has raised today's yellow alert to orange for the expected rain and wind tomorrow Saturday with the arrival of the storm Marta in Ronda, in whose Serranía the Guadiaro originates; the same scenario that the agency forecasts for the area of Cádiz bordering El Secadero. In this regard, it should be noted that north of El Secadero, the Guadiaro receives waters from the Genal and Hozgaranta rivers, so the flow of these tributaries is crucial for this core of Casares. Since January 4, its residents have been isolated on three occasions, the last time last week, but no one in El Secadero remembers an overflow of the Guadiaro at the level left by the storm Leonardo.