I suspect the rain was desperately needed after years of low rainfall.
I was shocked how barren and arid the landscape was the last time I
visited Andalucia a couple of years ago...

It is very much needed Scott, but I'm sure not at the expense of the
devastation its currently causing across Andalucia.
Crops have been devastated and livestock killed and some areas of Cadiz and
Granada Province in particular have suffered several severe floods over the
past few months, causing irreparable structural damage.