In La Alcudia, Valencia, residents saw Civil Protection vehicles passing through the streets, warning of the storm just minutes before the flood crossed the streets, a flood caused by the torrential rains and the tragic DANA that caused chaos in Valencia and left dozens dead. The alert notice on cell phones addressed to the entire affected population of the Generalitat Valenciana will not arrive until 9 p.m. At that time, many towns were flooded and residents were in serious danger.
Furthermore, the AEMET had warned since the morning of the “red level” of the storm, as Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for AEMET, pointed out in laSexta: “At 9:30 a.m., practically the entire province was already at the red level, the torrential rains and the disasters were truly predicted.”
This apparent lack of foresight has sparked widespread criticism while the true extent of the storm is still unknown. Francisco Cacho, meteorologist from LaSexta, stressed this Wednesday in Al Rojo Vivo that this “lag” between the AEMET red notice and the alerts sent to the population could have been “the key” to the devastating effects of the storm.
The government also insisted on the same day that it had been warned in advance of the severity of the storm. Precisely, Minister Ángel Víctor Torres went back to October 24, the first day on which AEMET reported the arrival of a DANA. However, the Valencian president, Carlos Mazón, assured that such magnitude was not expected.
The political critics have already arrived in Mazón this morning. Since Compromís, they have shown “sadness and indignation”, and assured that they would demand explanations. In addition, Gabriel Rufián, spokesperson for ERC in Congress, criticized the suppression of the Valencian Emergency Unit , a unit that Ximo Puig had created and that Mazón It was destroyed upon arrival in the Valencian government, calling it a “chiringuito” that did not provide more resources for situations like this.
Business criticism
But the criticism is not only aimed at politicians. The unions showed their concern for the workers and criticized the companies that did not suspend their activities despite the weather forecast: “There are people who went to work after this notice,” said Pepe Álvarez, general secretary of the UGT.
Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice President of the Government and Minister of Labor, joined in this idea: “Please, I ask companies, I appeal, to respect the law, to preserve the lives of workers “. The minister also assured that they would deploy the Labor Inspectorate.
