Spain evaluating scale of flood damage
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MADRID, May 25 (AFP) May 25, 2007

The Spanish government on Friday said it had agreed a process to
calculate the extent of severe flood damage and get emergency aid to the
areas worst affected after several days of heavy rain in much of the
country.

Six regions in south, central -- including Madrid -- and southeast Spain
were badly hit and the cabinet approved an immediate evaluation of the
damage and formulated measures to provide financial aid.

However, First Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega
said it was too early to put a figure on such aid.

Spain's agricultural sector has borne the brunt of the damage with
flooding swamping 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of vineyards in the
central region of Castille-La Mancha.

On Friday, agricultural unions estimated some 500,000 hectares (1.3
million acres) of crops had been affected.

The rain also caused travel misery for thousands of commuters Wednesday
and Thursday with mainline rail services between the capital and the
major southeastern cities of Valencia and Murcia interrupted all day
while some roads were closed.

On the plus side, the rains fell after three years of intensive drought
affecting much of the country.