The delegate of the Government of the Valencian Community called four times in just over an hour and a half on the day of DANA to offer the Valencian Generalitat the help of the Executive of Pedro Sánchez to deal with the consequences of the storm . In the first three cases, this offer of relief fell on deaf ears, according to Cadena SER.
The calls proposing the intervention of the UME were made by Pilar Bernabé to the Minister of Justice and Interior, Salomé Pradas, at 12:23 p.m., at 12:48 p.m. and at 2:00 p.m., after receiving the AEMET red weather alert and . the warning of the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar (CHJ) regarding the risk of overflowing the Magro River and the Poyo ravine, but the government of Carlos Mazón considered that it did not yet need state resources to help the population.
As elDiario.es was also able to confirm, these calls took place on the fateful Tuesday, October 29, when the Government delegate had already canceled her agenda early in the morning after receiving the red alert from AEMET at 7:30 a.m. At that time, Pilar Bernabé met with the UME, the Civil Guard, the Civil Protection and those responsible for state roads so that they were activated in response to the episode of heavy rains that first occurred worsened in the regions of Requena-Utiel and Ribera Alta.
After this meeting, an external communication phase begins. Thus, through social networks, at 8:30 a.m., the government delegation was already warning of the difficult day ahead and recommended being attentive to alerts and civil authorities.
Subsequently, a first telematic communication takes place at 9:30 a.m. with the mayors of the area threatened by DANA to inform them of the alert, even if this is not their responsibility. Many of these mayors had already canceled the Tuesday school day the day before, and others the same Tuesday morning.a day when the DANA was moving from the south of the province of Valencia to the northwest regions. The same Ministry of Education provided information on municipalities that had canceled their classes and updated their communications as that number increased.
Around 10 a.m., the situation becomes complicated and the delegation is already warning of the maximum red level.
The delegate also met in the morning with the CHJ to analyze the situation of the DANA with the delegation of AEMET, the General Directorate of Traffic, the Civil Guard, the National Police, the UME, Adif, Renfe and the Highway Demarcation.
Around noon, the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar begins to communicate that the accumulated water is causing problems in the beds of rivers and ravines, which are beginning to overflow in some municipalities, which is why environmental agents have traveled the demarcation to know the terms.
At 12:07 p.m., the CHJ communicated the hydrological alert to the establishments. Consequently, at 12:20 p.m. the Generalitat issues a special warning for the Poyo ravine. Three minutes later, at 12:23 p.m., the delegate launched the first appeal to Minister Pradas, responsible for the emergency zone to offer state resources to the Generalitat, and explained that she had prepared the device of its resources. But the advisor does not consider this necessary and informs him that they will nevertheless remain in contact and that he will meet his emergency team at Eliana.
25 minutes later, at 12:48 p.m., the Bernabé delegate insisted and called the advisor again to offer her the means. Salomé Pradas’ answer is that she will settle in Carlet, a town in Ribera Alta, south of Valencia, which was one of the first affected by DANA and where there is a risk of the Magre River overflowing. . Three minutes later, the Emergency Department published the special notice announced half an hour earlier on social networks.
After this warning, the UME also issues warnings to the population through social networks and the seriousness is beyond doubt. This 1h20 post warned of torrential rains on the Mediterranean coast, and even echoed Civil Protection recommendations such as avoiding crossing flood zones, or how to act if you find yourself stuck in a car due to water.
The third call from the Government delegate was made at 2 p.m., the offer of help was also not accepted.
Finally, the situation prompted the Minister of Justice to accept the strengthening of resources during a fourth call a few minutes later, but these will not be deployed in a generalized manner, the EMU, they will be limited to the region of Requena-Utiel.
When the Military Emergency Unit reported the deployment at 5 p.m., it already showed images of flooding in Utiel with several meters of flooding.
La Cadena SER adds that the minister summons the Cecopi emergency coordination center at 5 p.m., explaining that it is not operational and in which The president of the Generalitat himself, Caros Mazón, is not there. Around 7 p.m., and after the call from the mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, she warned that “from my window I see my city flooded”. It was then that a leader present at the meeting asked: “Should we sound the whistle?” And this will be sent at 8:12 p.m.
