Skip to main content

Case equipment helps rebuild local communities after floods

The floods and burst riverbanks suffered last spring throughout Europe have highlighted once again the importance of having the right equipment at the right time. In Germany and more recently in Spain, Case equipment is said to have been indispensable during recovery work in flood-damaged areas. During June, roads, bridges, homes and forest trails in many urban areas were affected by the heavy rain that led to flooding throughout northern Spain’s entire Aran Valley (Lleida), and the overflowing of the Ga
September 26, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
The floods and burst riverbanks suffered last spring throughout Europe have highlighted once again the importance of having the right equipment at the right time. In Germany and more recently in Spain, 176 Case equipment is said to have been indispensable during recovery work in flood-damaged areas.

During June, roads, bridges, homes and forest trails in many urban areas were affected by the heavy rain that led to flooding throughout northern Spain’s entire Aran Valley (Lleida), and the overflowing of the Garona river on its way through the town of Vielha. The emergency situation was dealt with quickly and the water had barely begun to recede when the first Case equipment turned up to help.

Following the worst of the flooding, a large amount of Case equipment is continuing to help in repairing the damage, in an attempt to help the thousands of affected inhabitants return to normal. Case equipment could be seen over the whole area, particularly heavy line equipment, but also some mini equipment. The 621E, 621D, 821F, 821C, 821E large loading shovels; the CX240B, CX290B, CX300C, CX350C and CX370C excavators; and the CX31 compact were fully operational in the area, together with the 430 mini-loader and the WX185 and WX210 wheeled excavators.

This was confirmed by Teo Cambra, head of sales for Simorra, the Case distributor in Lleida, the area affected by the disaster. “Two of our clients are working with their Case equipment in the various areas affected, and for this reason they have reinforced their fleets by renting a few more machines from Simorra," said Cambra.

Simorra has rented four machines. The first of these was an 821F loader to the company Excor, who work for another firm, 3373 Endesa, on the rebuilding of a collapsed bridge at the mini electrical power station in the badly flood-damaged town of Arties. This loader was used in conjunction with a Case CX240C excavator.

Construcciones del Pirineo 2001 has placed its Case fleet (WX185, 621E and 430) at the service of Aran town council, the Spanish government body overseeing the Aran Valley. It has been working since the beginning on rebuilding the entire area with the help of a Case CX370C, also rented from Simorra.

Cambra added, “We have also rented a CX290B and a CX300C to two private subcontractors that are also helping to repair the damage caused.”

Case equipment has also been an enormous help in the floods seen in south-east Germany during early June. The new Case dealership in Erlangen, recently opened in the town located in the federal state of Bavaria, swiftly dispatched an excavator and loader to the Bavarian town of Deggendorf, one of the areas worst affected by the floods.

Case also donated €5,000 to one of the affected families in this town. The manager of the dealership, Peter Straßer, awarded a cheque to a representative of the Red Cross in Bavaria during the opening of the new Erlangen facility. On the same day the company NMB, a Case supplier specialising in attachments, also made a spontaneous contribution, providing a demolition tool to be used with the Case equipment in Deggendorf.

The Simorra group, based in Lleida, Spain, is formed by the companies Simorra and Maquinsa. It consists of a team of 65 qualified professionals, with proven experience in the sector. The group's facility is 11,000m², fitted with the latest technology, and possesses over 600m² for display and spare parts.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Why Hitachi rental electric excavators are a perfect fit
    July 1, 2025
    When Jurgen van Uijthoven needed an electric excavator for a short-term project, he knew exactly who to ask. The long-standing customer of Hitachi Construction Machinery sub-dealer Pellen BV found an ideal solution to win the tender and complete the work.
  • Global growth in machine rental
    May 20, 2015
    The machine rental sector is undergoing significant expansion worldwide – Dan Gilkes reports. Plant hire, equipment rental, leasing, call it what you will, being able to use a machine when and where you need it, with no further concerns relating to ownership costs, depreciation or sudden repair bills, remains a compelling argument for many contractors. Which is one of the main reasons for the continued growth in popularity of equipment rental across the world. Rental has been big business in the UK, the US
  • New excavators and wheeled loaders for earthmoving market
    October 28, 2016
    Manufacturers are continuing to develop new excavators and wheeled loaders offering increased performance - Mike Woof writes. New developments are being seen in both the wheeled loader and excavator markets. Caterpillar, Daewoo, Hitachi, Hyundai, Komatsu, Kobelco and Volvo CE all have new wheeled loader or excavator models now available. The segment for wheeled loaders has seen particular innovation from Caterpillar, with different machines being introduced for tightly regulated and lesser regulated mark
  • CASE’s CX750D excavator is a quarrying winner
    March 7, 2018
    CASE Construction Equipment’s (CASE) CX750D crawler excavator is the largest and most powerful machine in the brand’s excavator range. The CX750D is said to deliver best-in-class productivity, operating at 381kW with up to 366kN of bucket digging force. It meets Tier 4 Final standards with minimal maintenance, no diesel particulate filter (DPF), no DPF regeneration or associated lifetime service costs. The undercarriage and front attachment have been reinforced in most of the D Series: in particular, the CX