Tenerife Recovers From Storm Emilia, Damage Assessed

Tenerife is slowly getting back to normal after Storm Emilia. The weather warnings, which were put in place to reduce damage from the storm passing over the Canary Islands, have mostly been lifted. Now, only a pre-alert for coastal issues remains active. There's still some risk along the coastline, but it's much less severe than it was on Friday and Saturday.

People were eager to get out, especially since most had stayed indoors the day before, listening to the wind whistle, hailstones hit the ground, and thunder rumble. Many didn't even wait for official announcements that things were back to normal; they were already out on the streets, tackling their Christmas shopping. "It's cold, but it feels good to walk," was a common remark heard in cafes during breakfast conversations.

Shops were open, and staff were eager for customers after a very quiet Saturday. A business manager noted, "The bad weather definitely had an impact." She explained that "on a normal day like that, even outside the Christmas season, we usually make four times more than we did yesterday," referring to the low sales the day before.

Just six hours later, that same employee was pleased to have recovered the weekend's lost sales. "People came out with enthusiasm," she said with a smile. Indeed, the busy scene on the capital's main streets yesterday was a stark contrast to the deserted atmosphere of Saturday.

While some people were busy shopping, many towns across the island were organizing clean-up efforts. Crews removed fallen trees, branches, and stones from roads. In areas with more resources, mud was washed away with hoses. Some practical towns chose to let the morning's intermittent rain do some of the cleaning for them, saving their workers. Meanwhile, mechanical street sweepers were just as busy as the shop cashiers, who saw stores fill up quickly.

Today, the focus is on assessing the damage Storm Emilia caused, especially to Christmas decorations in towns hit by strong winds. For instance, in La Laguna, a Santa Claus figure lost an arm, and in Santa Cruz, several Three Wise Men statues broke near the spot where Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson famously lost part of his arm. Officials are also checking items that were almost damaged, like streetlights, bins, and other public furniture. Finally, efforts are being made to reschedule any events that were cancelled last weekend because of the storm.