Concern in Cortes de la Frontera: 'One of the tremors moved the bed'
The town hall of this Malaga village has sent out a message of calm as the saturated land is causing underground movements and noises in the Serranía de Ronda
In Cortes de la Frontera (3,408 inhabitants) they are used to the heavy rain, but not so much to the earth movements due to the saturation of the underground aquifers and the resulting buzzing sounds.
In the last few hours, these tremors have been regular, causing concern among the residents of this town in the Guadiaro valley.
"This morning there have been several tremors that we have felt and heard; in one of them I felt the bed move and heard a 'boom'," said Manuel, one of the few Cortes locals who this newspaper has seen in the deserted streets of the village, where from last night until midday the drinking water has been cut off due to a breakdown.
At the Mesón los Alcornocales, at the entrance to the village on the road to Benaoján, the topic of conversation among the locals is the weather - so far this year 1,100 millimetres have fallen in Cortes - and the tremors.
"It's like a shaking and you hear 'boom'," said Paco, the owner of the restaurant, who added that there are streams around the village that have been without water for years and are now "full to bursting".
Aware of the concern generated by these tremors, the local council has sent a message of calm, recalling that after holding a meeting with scientists from the government's CSIC agency who are providing scientific advice, they have been told that "Cortes de la Frontera is not in danger" and that it is "normal" to feel these sounds and movements because "it is happening everywhere and in areas very close to you".
The national seismic network has announced that a radar will be installed to evaluate the situation of the subsoil
In fact, the national seismic network has announced that a radar will be installed in the area in order to continue studying the possible risks. The radar will be installed for a month and is a tool to evaluate the situation of the municipality at subsoil level.
Faced with this situation, the residents are patient. This is what Andrés, the head of the village's lottery administration, said. "There have been quite a few tremors, but they are telling us that it is normal. So although there is a lot of concern, we have to be patient," he said a few minutes before closing, as this morning "there have hardly been any people; they are shut up in their houses".
