THE disaster caused by DANA in Valencia sparked much debate over whether warnings about expected rainfall and flood risk came in time. The president of the Official College of Geologists, Nieves Sánchezassures that they arrived too late.
“The alert arrived late, it should have arrived the day before“, but the principle of prevention requires that, if there is a probability of very intense rain in flood-prone areas, it must be applied to the population the day before so that they can change their plans,” he explains.
Furthermore, he emphasizes that, even if we do not perceive the risk because at a given moment it does not rain, we must always heed the warnings of AEMET: “The problem is that you can go there but not to come back. You must understand that an alert is for an entire dayand even if it’s not raining, I can take the car, go to a shopping center and it starts to rain.” “That’s why a red alert must be accompanied by very clear protocols,” he adds.
The importance of knowing the risks
In the coming hours, heavy rain is forecast in the Balearic Islands.. It is for this reason that Nieves Sánchez warns of the importance of knowing the dangers to which we are exposed if we live in one of these areas.
“In Spain, people don’t know what the risks are. If you live in a flood zone, you will have to worry about going upstairs or not being in that house. We need to be aware of the level of risk we are at. If you think it won’t happen to you, it’s because you don’t know the risks,” he concludes.
