215 flights canceled as storm Hermine batters Spain’s Canary Islands

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Storm Hermine continues to batter Spain’s Canary Islands, causing power outages, floods, landslides, and 215 flight cancellations on Sunday.

So far, no injuries have been reported, although migration activist Helena Maleno warned that 107 migrants were thought to be traveling on small rafts to the Spanish islands this weekend.

On Saturday, just before the storm hit, the Spanish Coast Guard said they rescued 23 Moroccan migrants traveling in an inflatable raft.

Once the storm made landfall Saturday afternoon, it left record-breaking rain for September in six different parts of the archipelago.

On Sunday, Hermine was downgraded from a tropical storm to tropical depression.

However, authorities warn that the worst may not be over, as the storm system will get closest to the islands between late Sunday night and Monday morning.

School, sports, and cultural events are being suspended through Monday as authorities ask residents to stay at home.

Even so, the popular tourist destination has been marked by travel chaos this weekend.

Since Saturday, nearly 300 flights have been canceled and dozens more have been rerouted, according to airport operator Aena.

Meanwhile, emergency services said they had to respond to more than 800 storm-related incidents, including car accidents, power outages, landslides, flooding, and fallen trees.