Storm Marta Leaves Spanish Farms Flooded and Farmers in Trouble

The rain keeps coming. Winds blow hard. Fields are under water. Farmers in southern Spain say they have lost many hectares of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. The damage is worth millions of euros. They want help from the government. The storm, named Marta, is part of a long line of bad weather. In recent weeks the peninsula has seen heavy rain, thunder, snow and strong gales. The Spanish weather agency warned that Marta would bring more rain, snow in the mountains and dangerous coastal conditions. The warning level was orange, only one step below red. More than 11, 000 people had to leave their homes in Andalusia. Nearly 170 roads were closed across Spain and trains stopped running in Portugal. The Guadalquivir River rose sharply, forcing evacuations near Cordoba. Spanish officials said the river would peak on Saturday or Sunday.The storm also shook the ground in mountain towns that had already been hit by a previous storm called Leonardo. Residents reported tremors for days, but local councils said there was no danger from the shaking. Experts from the National Research Council were sent to keep an eye on the situation. In Portugal, heavy rains caused three towns to postpone a presidential vote. Rescue teams number more than 26, 500. Rail services are down and many roads are blocked. Farmers in the province of Cadiz say they face a “real natural catastrophe. ” They want financial help to rebuild their crops and recover from the flood.