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There were tears, hugs and a steady stream of cars climbing back into Grazalema, the Cádiz province, on Monday afternoon as families returned home after eleven days of forced evacuation.

 

From 4.00pm, access was reopened to much of the Cádiz mountain town and 1,342 of the 1,619 homes have now been authorised for reoccupation. That means around 1,728 residents, roughly 80% of the population, can finally return home.

 

The ordeal began after days of intense rainfall raised fears about unstable ground, forcing the entire municipality to be evacuated at short notice. Many were taken first to the El Fuerte pavilion in Ronda before being moved to hotels in the area. Residents had to wait anxiously for almost two weeks for confirmation of when it would be safe to go home.

 

On Monday, the mood was very different.

 

Manuela, who left with little more than essentials, said she felt “overjoyed” to walk back through her front door. She had put up blankets before leaving to try to stop leaks and, although there was some damp, she described the house as “okay, all things considered”. She also spoke warmly of the support she received in Ronda. “People have been so kind,” she said.

 

Antonia recalled how the urgency of the evacuation meant abandoning even the food on the table. Returning brought “a very strange feeling”, she admitted, but also “immense joy”. She praised the solidarity shown, insisting, “the people save the people.”

 

The return is being carried out in an “orderly and gradual” way using residents’ own means, with support for vulnerable people where needed, regional officials confirmed. President Juanma Moreno said he was confident those now back would continue to support neighbours still unable to return.

 

Around 200 homes remain inside a designated red zone and are still awaiting further scientific evaluation. The mayor, Carlos Javier García, stressed that the partial reopening of the municipality has been guided by technical criteria. “We are reopening based on technical decisions,” he said, adding that safety remains the priority.

 

While some households remain unable to return, the reopening of most of the town marks a major step forward after nearly two weeks of disruption and uncertainty.

 

For now, much of Grazalema is focused on cleaning, checking for damage and slowly settling back into everyday life. One resident, visibly emotional as he stood outside his home, admitted, “I can’t even speak,” reflecting the strain of nearly two weeks of uncertainty. For many, the relief of being home is mixed with the reality that recovery work still lies ahead.

 

 

Image: Guardia Civil