TENERIFE GOVERNMENT DECLARES EMERGENCY OVER

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Friday February 19 2010

A public signpost in the Ofra district of Santa Cruz bent over by the high winds

TENERIFE'S Cabildo government lifted the state of emergency on Friday morning following two days of storms.

by JAMES TWEEDIE

The island's PEIN emergency civil defence plan was stood down at 8am after the Canarian regional government lifted its Orange Alert in force since Tuesday.

All roads closed due to the storm were reopened, with the exception of those in the Mount Teide national park in the centre of the island.

Repair teams teams were working with local councils to ensure that all essential public services affected by the storm were restored as soon as possible.

Emergency services concentrated their 900 staff and 200 vehicles in the South and West of the island and the Santa Cruz-La Laguna metropolitan area during the 100kph (60mph) storm and heavy rains

The Fire Brigade responded to almost 300 calls, mainly in Santa Cruz and Granadilla.

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