From meteorological reports to the chronicle of events, environmental, political and even judicial. With more than 200 deaths in the Valencian Community alone and incalculable losses today, DANA has become a priority issue. Because of its tragic death toll, but also because of the open controversy surrounding the management of the crisis and the role of the administrations on October 29. Now, with part of the peninsula hit by a new DANA that has activated the red alert in some regions, the issue gains even more strength.
How did the Generalitat act in the face of the worst DANA of the century in Valencia? And how are they acting now in other regions, such as Catalonia or Andalusia?
One tragedy, two focuses. Almost since October 29, when part of the Valencian Community suffered the scourge of a historic DANA, the focus of the media and public and political debate was directed towards two main points. The first is the balance of victims, missing persons and destruction. The second, how the administrations responded to an episode of heavy rain to which Aemet had assigned the “red level”, the maximum possible, hours in advance.
The controversy has been on the table for two weeks. Despite the data published by Aemet and the heavy downpour, the Es-Alert system, which allows the population to be informed through their cell phones, was not used until after eight in the afternoon, when there were already regions severely affected by the DANA.
Confinement yes or no? Compromís has already accused Carlos Mazón of “reckless homicide” and reproaches the Minister of the Interior for not having moved in the face of the “incompetence” of the Generalitat. Since yesterday, one more key has been added to the debate: Should Cecopi have asked the population of the most affected regions to “confine themselves” to their homes or workplaces and not go outside? The reason: we now know that this idea, that of “confinement”, was on the table on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 29, hours before the Es-Alert system was activated.
“Confinement” and “evacuation”. The news has been advanced Lift-EMwhich has published a chronicle that sheds more light on what happened in the committee that met on October 29 to organize the response to DANA. According to the newspaper, during the meeting the Cecopi considered the option of recommending that the most affected populations “confine themselves” to their homes or businesses.
Throughout the summit there was also talk of “evacuation”, asking people to take refuge in high areas or resorting to Es-Alert, although without defining the content of the message that would be sent to mobile phones. The Country He specifies that among the options that the organization considered was making a live connection with À Punt to alert the population. The result is well known: the Es-Alert message was sent at 8:10 p.m., when the situation was already alarming in some areas.
And the second DANA arrived. That was two weeks ago. And now Spain faces another DANA, although with a different geographical distribution. The Aemet has active the red warning, of “extreme risk” due to rainfall in a part of Andalusia and Catalonia. To be more precise on the Western Costa del Sol, Málaga and La Axarquía, where the warning extends until midnight; and the South Coast of Tarragona, in which the Aemet assesses “extreme risk” until 10:00 p.m.
There are other areas of Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community on orange notice by DANA, the second on the scale of three managed by Aemet; and yellow, the lowest, in Asturias, Castilla y León, Galicia and Murcia.
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And how have they responded? With the memory of the tragedy two weeks ago still fresh, Andalusia has activated the emergency phase of its Flood Risk Plan. It was advanced yesterday by the Board itself, which reported that at 8:23 p.m. it moved from the pre-emergency stage to the emergency stage.
What does that translate into? The evacuation of the Guadalhorce riverside area and the suspension of classes in all educational centers in the province of Malaga, as well as in Granada capital, the Genil basin, the Granada coast, Almuñécar, Motril and Albuñol. “The measure also affects day centers and people with disabilities, dependent on the Junta de Andalucía,” the regional government states, which does not rule out maintaining the suspension tomorrow as well.
Renfe has adopted a similar decision and has paralyzed services in Malaga, where Adif has chosen to clear the platforms and lobbies of the María Zambrano station station. In Malaga alone there are more than 3,000 evicted.
“Prevention before cure”. The quotation marks are from the Andalusian president Juanma Moreno, who this morning underlined from The leader, Mazón’s colleague, insisted on the need to take measures, even if this penalizes the activity and economy of part of the community. “I know that the province of Malaga is, to a large extent, paralyzed with the measures adopted by the technicians; but everyone’s objective is to minimize the impact of DANA,” he defends.
Last night, Emergencies 112 already resorted to the Es-Alert system in Malaga capital, Axarquía, Sol and Guadalhorce, areas with a red notice, asking residents to “be cautious” and to “avoid travel.” A decision that was defended today by the Presidency and Interior Council of the Board, Antonio Sanz Cabello. The tempos and the delay in the use of the Es-Alert system is one of the most controversial points of the management of the DANA that hit the province of Valencia two weeks ago.
Click on the image to go to the tweet.
And in Catalonia? They have chosen to activate the emergency plan for flood risk and apply certain restrictions due to the threat of rainfall in Baix Camp, Baix Ebre, Ribera d’Ebre, Montsià and Tarragonès. On its website the Catalan Government details the limitations in the most exposed regions. The maximum, emphasizes its president, Salvador Illa, is “maximum caution.”
Yesterday the socialist leader participated in a meeting of the DANA monitoring committee and Civil Protection has asked that extreme caution be taken given the forecast that 40 l/m2 could be exceeded in half an hour in certain points.
What measures have been taken? The maxim seems to be the same as in Andalusia: prevent, even if it is at the cost of applying restrictions. From six in the morning until midnight in the areas of Baix Camp, Baix Ebre, Riebra de Ebro, Montsià and Tarragonès, mobility is restricted, “except in situations of major cause” for essential services; Educational and sporting activities are suspended and in facilities attached to universities and activities are also paralyzed in day centers designed for the elderly or people with disabilities.
The mobility restrictions are somewhat reminiscent of those applied four years ago, during the worst of the pandemic. They exclusively leave out “essential services”, such as those dedicated to security, health, basic supplies, energy resources, media, guard courts or public transportation, although the latter operates in “minimum services.”
“A special attention”. The rains have also reached part of the Valencian Community, where the situation is now being faced with special care, as Mazón himself has recognized. “Logically, after what has happened has happened, there is special attention,” he assumed yesterday. Cecopi has agreed to apply restrictions on mobility with private vehicles and Emergencies sent a circular to the municipalities with the highest risk asking them to consider suspending classes “with sufficient notice” to avoid travel.
Images | WorldOfSoftware, Málaga Mobility Area (X) and Mossos (X)
In WorldOfSoftware | The other threat from DANA in Valencia: a “toxic” flood due to mud and the risk of sewer collapse
