Storm Claudia leaves a trail of destruction across parts of the Canary Islands
The authorities have reported that Storm Claudia swept across the Canary Islands with short-lived but intense force, leaving behind hundreds of incidents, particularly in La Palma, before all weather alerts were lifted.
While no direct injuries have been confirmed, authorities are still investigating the death of a truck driver in La Palma to determine whether it was related to the storm.
On La Palma, at least 24 road closures were caused by rockfalls and landslides across several sections of the island’s road network. Four major routes remained closed according to the Island Council: The LP-214 (Los Brecitos), LP-109 (Las Mimbreras), LP-4 (Roque de los Muchachos), and LP-302 (La Cumbrecita).
Numerous additional problems were reported, including sewage overflows in several municipalities, flooding in homes and garages, a ravine overflow in Tazacorte, roof damage in Santa Cruz de La Palma, fallen trees, and even a collapsed banana plantation.
Across the islands, 29 flights were cancelled due to strong winds and low visibility, mainly affecting connections with Tenerife North, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Tenerife South, and Munich, although a flight from Manchester had to divert to Tenerife South.
The weather also disrupted maritime traffic: with the port of Arrecife closed, three cruise ships carrying 4,000 passengers were diverted, two of which were held in Agadir, while the third was redirected to Gran Canaria after the port of Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura was also shut down.
In Gran Canaria, a dramatic incident occurred when a 50-metre wall collapsed, crushing three parked vehicles in the area, fortunately without injuries. Tenerife also experienced numerous problems, especially in the south and west, including power cuts, flooding, and temporary road closures due to landslides. El Hierro and La Gomera also reported outages, landslides, and issues with street lighting.
Residents of Los Realejos in the north of Tenerife had a fright when lightning struck a tree in the town centre. Electrical storms are a common and often spectacular side effect of Atlantic storms affecting the archipelago.
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital logged around 15 incidents, mainly lighting and traffic-light failures, minor landslides in Anaga, and several vehicles skidding off the road during heavy rain. Municipal crews and local police worked throughout the night to restore safety.
The Guardia Civil continues to investigate the death of a truck driver near the LP-3 tunnel in El Paso, awaiting autopsy results to determine whether the incident was caused by the storm or by a possible heart attack.
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