Casa De Campo & Retiro Park To Remain Closed For Filomena Clear Up

The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has announced that both the El Retiro park and the Casa de Campo will not open for another two months due to the clear up of damaged trees from the effects of Storm Filomena.

The Mayor made the announcement on Telemadrid yesterday, saying that the process could take as long as two months due to the extent of the damage caused.

In addition, Almeida has warned of further damage expected as Madrid´s cold snap gives way to high winds and heavy rains from this Wednesday, 20th January.

The Mayor called for “absolute caution,” as winds with gusts of up to 60 kph are expected with up to 7 litres of rain falling on the capital.

To deal with the situation, Madrid´s city council is contracting an additional 495 additional personnel to add to the already 3,500 strong force that is clearing the storm´s debris in Madrid´s 21 districts.

The damage is particularly bad in Madrid´s historical parks of El Retiro and Casa de Campo with an estimated 64 and 68 percent of trees damaged respetively.

There are en estimated 17,000 trees in the Retiro including many old oaks and cedars while the Casa de Campo is home to around 250,000 including many pine and cedar trees.