Weather alarm in Levante - UPDATE

NOTE FROM MODERATOR: The rains have come and gone, but if you read through the thread, you will see that there is a lot of damage and that repairs will take a while. Many thanks to our friends in the Valencia Association for keeping us updated and for doing so much work to maintain the Camino.

Due to the severe weather in Levante, with direct impact on our way, the Amigos in Valencia are interested having news of pilgrims on this camino. As far as we know there are at least
- a french man, 75 old, who leaved Valencia on saturday,
- 5 young spanish, also starting on saturday
- a french man with a trolley, we met in Silla on monday
- a German we met in La Font de la Figuera on monday
- 3 french ladies we met in Valencia on wednesday.
If you meet them pleased communicates to us they are safe.
Thank you and buen camino.
Jean-Luc

Anniesantiago said:

Please PM me an email where we can contact you and I'll post this in my groups.

Click to expand...

Hi Annie, a pm to me should be OK, alternatively an e-mail at the Amigos: info@vieiragrino.com

Very good,
we have been calling several cities in the bad weather area because we estimated the french man was there, but none can confirm he was him.
Thank you for your help

The situation is now better, but the way itself is in bad conditions.
Pilgrims starting now can have an idea of what they will find looking at the photos in the blog of Régis, http://lebourdon38.fr/2019701/index-valencia-ponferrada.html
This morning I informed a Canadian pilgrim I met in the street. He is the ninth I meet this month.

post-scriptum to administrators, when this thread get obsolete, is it good to delete it?

The alarm is now past, now it's time to repair the damage.
Unfortunately in all the impacted areas 7 lifes will not be recovered.
According to Met Office this was the strongest rains in 140 years, and in some places it rained the same in 4 days that in one single usual year. Some river had a flow 400x as usual.

Yesterday we had a survey trip along the Canyoles river which is the more impacted part of the Camino de Levante.
Pilgrims by foot can go from Xativa to La Font de la Figuera by the marked way, with only one exception, which is a 1 km long path along the river just after Moixent. Going by the road permits connect again with the way a little bit farther.
In 2 of the 6 river crossings we couldn't cross with our car, but walkers can, but with care due the damages at the way, the mud (avoid slipping at the river), and the accumulation of broken trees and reed.
The mean problem is that along the river signals have been eliminated by the flows, and arrows are often under the mud and rubbish. It is the moment to use tracks or maps.
We could check that local authorities are working to repair, but there is a lot of work to do.

Please also have in mind that the area before Almansa is again flooded. This is not a problem because when you get to the N430a, just where the flood begin, you can turn left and go directly to Almansa (Camino del Sureste)

Buen Camino
Jean-Luc