British tourist caught in Lanzarote floods says it was like ‘Armageddon’
A British tourist battling to get back to his hotel during severe flooding on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands said it felt like ‘Armageddon’.
Mike Hallet, 53, and his wife had been on a day trip to the southern tip of the island, which he says was unaffected by the two hour deluge that hit parts further north yesterday afternoon.
But as they drove towards Costa Teguise, where the couple are staying, they were shocked to find ‘total carnage’, with ‘roads blocked everywhere’.
Mike, from Bridlington, in Yorkshire, told Metro: ‘The motorways were flooded, water was coming off embankments like full blown waterfalls.
‘It was proper full on. I’ve never seen water like it. I’m amazed no one was killed.
‘It felt like Armageddon.’
They finally managed to get back to their all-inclusive hotel, El Trébol, which they booked through TUI, to find it flooded and with no running water.
Their room was thankfully dry so they were able sleep there overnight, but there is no running water at all at the complex.
Mike said it’s been a chaotic few hours: ‘The fire brigade were at the hotel all night pumping water out.
‘The kitchens were being cleared of mud yesterday so they could make food.
‘Guests have been filling the room bins from the overflowing swimming pool to get water to flush the toilets.’
The couple, who arrived on Arpil 10 and fly home on Thursday, were told they would be moved to another hotel, but this afternoon learnt there were available rooms, due in part because other hotels were also affected.
A message posted on the hotel’s Facebook page said guests would have to remain at least another night and will need to buy their own food elsewhere, which will later be reimbursed by TUI. Bottled drinking water would be provided, they added.
The hotel wrote that guests were free to find their own accommodation or take an earlier flight home and the costs for this would also be reimbursed.
Mike said he and his wife hope to find another hotel.
Footage of the flooding, which was shared on X, shows swathes of brown water gushing down streets and rivers overflowing after a storm and torrential rain hit the holiday hotspot on Saturday afternoon.
Cars can be seen abandoned in deep water and huge swathes of land submerged.
There have been no reports of casualties.
Officials on the island, which is very popular with British tourists, have declared a state of emergency.
The city of Arrecife, on Lanzarote’s south coast, experienced some of the worst flooding.
Residents there reported a strong smell of sewage as the island’s drainage system was overwhelmed.
Towns Tahiche, Costa Teguise, Guatiza and Nazaret were also badly affected by the flooding.
Some areas reportedly saw around 60 litres of water per square metre fall in just two hours.
This is more than a month’s worth of the average rainfall in the UK.
Lanzarote’s Security Consortium activated the island’s Emergency Plan until 7am on Sunday morning.
The owner of an Irish bar in Costa Teguise called New Mill described the flooding as ‘biblical’ and said it had ‘rocked the community to the core’.
She says both her business and her home escaped any major damage but the homes of two of her staff members have been badly affected.
‘One of them got home to find their basement and first floor destroyed and another found her roof had caved in,’ she told Metro.
‘One of them was supposed to be selling their place this week – that’s obviously not going to be happening!
‘They’re understandably both very upset.’
She said she and her neighbours were holed up inside their complex surrounded by water, with ‘what looked like waves hitting against the walls’.
The owner, who comes from Ireland, was able to open her bar today to serve Sunday lunch and is reaching out to anyone who needs help and support, ‘even if it’s just a cup of tea’.
She added: ‘I just can’t get over it. I’m just so shocked by it. But we’re there, we’re just reaching out to people and telling people whatever we can do, just come to us and let us know.’
The woman said there was ‘little warning’ of how extreme the weather was going to be in advance.
People on the island were advised yesterday and this morning to avoid all unnecessary travel and take precautions if they do go out.
Meanwhile, holidaymakers planning to visit in the next few days should check their flights and accommodation, and potentially seek alternatives.
It is not clear how long the island will take to recover from the floodwater which has caused damage to roads and buildings.
The deluge on Saturday came after heavy rain earlier in the week as Storm Olivier hit the island.
A number of flights in and out of Lanzarote airport were cancelled or diverted as a result.
In the UK, the weather this week coming will be relatively dry, but those hoping for a repeat of yesterday – especially over the Easter break – may be a little disappointed.
Temperatures will fall as low as 14C on Wednesday in the south, though by the Good Friday they should creep up to around 17C.
Further up north it’s set to be a couple of degrees cooler, averaging 14/15C.
TUI has been contacted for comment.
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