The Balearic cabinet has officially requested that the central government declares Mallorca a disaster zone as a result of the widespread damage caused by storm Juliette at the end of last month.
According to Balearic government spokesperson and Tourism Minister, Iago Negueruela, the declaration will allow access to financial aid and tax breaks from the state.
Between February 26 and 28, the brutal storm brought record snow and rainfall, sub zero temperatures and gale force winds which affected the Tramuntana Mountains and other parts of Mallorca, especially the agricultural community.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but dozens of people had to be evacuated and rescued by the emergency and security services by land and by air, and others were supplied with food and medicines because they were isolated and in many cases without electricity and telecommunications, especially in Lluc.
More than 25,000 people were left without electricity for nearly 48 hours. By this morning, the 112 emergency telephone number had attended to 600 incidents related to the storm.
Most of these were caused by falling trees, not counting the 14,000 hectares of forest that have been affected in many municipalities, most of them in the Tramuntana Mountains, and which must be cleared before the start of the high forest fire risk season on May 1.
The Council of Mallorca’s road network and the electricity and telecommunications infrastructures were also affected and the repair bill continues to rise.