Storm Francis has demolished much of the 4.3-kilometer promenade in Matalascañas, Almonte (Huelva), sweeping away three beach bars and endangering nearby buildings. About fifteen residents have been evacuated due to collapse risks, as officials warn of further imminent damage. The incident highlights coastal erosion worsened by climate change and sand shortages near Doñana National Park.
Storm Francis has wreaked havoc on Huelva's coast, demolishing the Matalascañas promenade, a macro-urbanization in Almonte that hosts about 150,000 summer visitors. The waves damaged the 4.3-kilometer structure at multiple points and swept away three permanent beach bars, according to local town hall reports.
Fifteen residents were evacuated on Sunday due to fears that waves would undermine their homes' foundations, including the three-story Alcotán building. Affected resident Raquel Cazcón voiced her anxiety: “I fear my building will collapse and the foundations won't hold, because the water is still right up top and keeps hitting. Year after year, the tides erode and take away more and more sand.” The town council requested help from the Military Emergency Unit, citing reports confirming the building's stability is compromised.
Mayor Francisco Bella (independent) warned that another high tide could worsen conditions in the coming days, with the storm still ongoing. He blamed erosion on sand shortages plaguing the area for the past decade, worsened by breakwaters built decades ago in Huelva and Mazagón that halted the natural river deposit of 300,000 cubic meters annually. The storm also toppled the wastewater treatment plant's wall, risking environmental spills.
In 2018, the Ministry for Ecological Transition (Miteco) identified a need for 700,000 cubic meters of sand to bolster the beach, a project that started just a week ago after seven years of delay. Bella called for emergency measures and criticized the holdup: “We've had eight years of delay; the coast has been stripped bare.” The long-term fix is to relocate the promenade inland, estimated at 600 million euros, involving expropriations and demolitions of about 200 frontline buildings.
Environment Secretary of State Hugo Morán outlined palliative steps: sand replenishment and breakwater reinforcement for six million euros until June. He emphasized structural works amid climate change: “We have to change our way of relating to the sea, which is rising and taking up more surface area.” He added that the challenge demands a “cultural change” to adapt to an altered planet.
Nearby El Portil beach also suffered extensive sand loss from the storm.
