The Generalitat sends an Es-Alert to mobile phones in Valencia due to the risk of flooding this Sunday | News from the Valencian Community

The Ministry of Emergencies and Interior, through the Emergency Coordination Center of the Generalitat Valenciana (CCE), sent an Es-Alert message to cell phones in Valencia on the occasion of the red alert decreed due to the “risk of flooding on the north and south coast of Valencia due to heavy rain” starting this Sunday at noon.

The Civil Protection message, broadcast on cell phones at 7:23 p.m., recommends avoiding travel, not crossing flood zones, respecting traffic cuts and not carrying out activities in or near river beds. “If you are in a flood zone, look for higher areas or go to a higher floor,” adds the message, broadcast in Spanish and English.

The Emergency Coordination Center raised the alert to the red level for rain and storms throughout the Valencia coast and maintained the yellow level for rain and storms in the provinces of Castellón and Alicante. According to Aemet forecasts, the start of the alert is scheduled for this Sunday at noon and the alerts remain in force in Alicante and Castellón from 00:00. The rains can be very intense in the Valencian Community.

Aemet indicates the possibility of the formation of sea sleeves and small tornadoes in coastal areas, which may be associated with sudden and localized wind gusts of significant magnitude, resulting in considerable potential risk with respect to outdoor activities.

The last time the Generalitat sent an Es alert was on October 9 due to the risk of torrential rains due to Storm Alice on the south coast of the province of Alicante, 19 hours before the Aemet gave departure at 10 a.m., the day after the start of the red notice. The previous one was sent on September 28, also a few hours before the announcement of the risky episode. The Es-Alert protocol has been modified since the tragic day of the dana, October 29, 2024, when the Generalitat sent the first alert message at 8:11 p.m. and Aemet had issued its first red notice at 7:36 a.m. When the message reached cell phones, most of the 230 victims registered in the province of Valencia were already dead.

The Valencian Security and Emergency Response Agency recommends that municipalities and bodies with emergency management powers maintain the necessary attention and follow-up to all notifications issued during these events by the Emergency Coordination Center of the Generalitat in order to activate in advance their action protocols and establish the relevant preventive measures in their respective areas.

This is why municipalities in which outdoor activities are practiced during the days that the episode lasts are particularly invited to take prevention and protection measures concerning activities particularly vulnerable to this type of phenomenon, such as Christmas markets, sporting activities, cultural events or any other event involving removable or temporary elements.

Among the recommendations forwarded to these responsible agencies, the most notable is to avoid parking vehicles in areas likely to be flooded, such as dry canals, river banks and ravines. Even if there is no precipitation there, flash flooding can occur and wash away vehicles and people.

It is also advisable to signal and prevent the movement of vehicles in fords prone to flooding and to report the risky situation in camping areas or other events taking place on your municipal territory. In addition, the department recalls the importance of reviewing the civil protection advice intended for the population and which can be consulted on the website 1·1·2, www.112cv.gva.es; on the X network @GVA112 or via the GVA 112 Notices application (available on Google Play and the App Store).

Measures in Valencia

Due to the red alert, the Valencia City Council canceled the hiring exams for the EMT of the Polytechnic University and sent a letter to La Liga and the general director of Valencia Basket to request the suspension of the Levante UD and Valencia Basket matches. All circuses in the city have also been contacted to suspend performances tomorrow Sunday in the morning and afternoon sessions and the authorization of all private outdoor activities is suspended, in addition to declaring the closure of municipal museums, municipal theaters, municipal libraries and tourist offices in the city.