Spanish streets are flooding with seafoam

Following Storm Gloria, the Spanish town of Tossa de Mar is facing an unexpected consequence: thick blankets of seafoam.

Storm Gloria began wreaking havoc on Monday, devastating beaches and roads and causing major power outages. It was reported that waves as big as 23 feet high were crashing on top of coastal cities and towns. The storm surged up to two miles inland, destroying rice paddies in the Ebro River Delta, BBC News reports.

And now, Tossa de Mar, which is located about 65 miles north of Barcelona and hosts beachfront resorts, is now dealing with seafoam engulfing the streets and parts of buildings. 

Seafoam forms when ocean water gets shaken up and occurs naturally — but sometimes, pollution, whether it’s from fossil fuels or sewage, can make it thicker and stickier, according to Gizmodo. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says seafoam is “not generally” harmful to humans.

High winds have reportedly made the foam harder to remove. 

The head of Barcelona’s Beach Service said this storm is the “worst experienced this century.”

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