Storm season on the Costa Blanca South: a checklist for your home

Why autumn is the risky season

Between September and November, cold air high up over warm sea water can cause a DANA: very heavy rain in a short time. The Vega Baja, around Orihuela and Torrevieja, saw how bad it can get in September 2019. Many homes here have flat roof terraces and solariums. When their drains are blocked by leaves, dust or sand, the water pools and finds its way through the ceiling below.

Before the rain

1. Clear the roof terrace and solarium drains. This is the single most useful thing to do.
2. Clear gutters and downpipes you can see from the ground.
3. Check the silicone around windows, balcony doors and terrace edges. Cracked or lifting seals let water in.
4. Check the shutters and their straps. A frayed strap often breaks just when you need the shutter down.
5. Look for damp patches on ceilings and walls now, and take photos, so you can tell what is new later.
6. On the ground floor and in garages, clear the outside drains and lift anything valuable off the floor.
7. Bring in or tie down loose terrace furniture, plant pots and awnings.
8. If the home will be empty, make sure someone can check it after a storm warning.

During a storm

• Stay off roofs and terraces.
• If water reaches sockets or appliances, switch off the electricity at the fuse box if you can do it safely.
• If you smell gas, leave the home and call 112.

After the storm

1. Check ceilings under the roof terrace for new damp patches.
2. Check the ground floor for water that came in under doors.
3. Look at the terrace: is water still standing? Then a drain is still blocked.
4. Check walls, railings and roof tiles for anything loose.

If water is coming in, that is an emergency: we come out day and night. Night-time and urgent visits cost more, as shown below, and we tell you the price before we come. For anything that can wait, we fix it at our normal fixed prices.