The mobile phone alert that the Generalitat Valenciana sent to the 8:11 p.m. The fateful afternoon of October 29 was not intended to warn citizens of the overflowing Poyo Ravine, as was believed until now. The real reason was the “high probability” of the Forata dam breaking, a fact that would have multiplied the tragedy.
Sources from the Generalitat assure EL ESPAÑOL that the 8:00 p.m. That day, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, telephoned from Colombia to advise of the Interior, Salomé Pradas, to warn him that there was “a high risk” of the Forata dam breaking. This information is known after Morán’s appearance in Congress this Wednesday to explain the management of the Ministry of Ecological Transition within DANA.
Thanks to DANA, the Forata reservoir, located in the town of Yátova, 45 kilometers from Valencia, has reached its maximum capacity. The sources from the Generalitat and the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) consulted by this newspaper agree in assessing that “if this dam on the Magro river were to break, the disaster would have been infinitely greater”.
Es-Alerte notice to the population of the province of Valencia, sent at 8:11 p.m. on Tuesday October 29.
For all this, 5:56 p.m.the CHJ had already reported that the reservoir had started releasing water into the Magro River. At that time, the Coordination Center (CECOPI) was already meeting, which included representatives of the Government Delegation, the CHJ, the National Police and the Civil Guard (all electronically), and the Generalitat, the Provincial Deputation of Valencia and the Army. Emergency Unit, EMU (in person).
At this meeting, all the attention due to the effects of the torrential rains was focused on the growing urgency of the Forata dam, which 6:04 p.m. entered “Exceptional scenario” or “Scenario 2”. That is to say that there was already a “danger of rupture or serious damage” for the dam and that it could no longer be assured with certainty that it could be controlled “by applying the measures and means available “.
According to sources present at the meeting cited by the Generalitat, “no representative of the CHJ warned of what was already happening in the Poyo ravine”, which multiplied its flow by 100 and was already causing the first floods downstream.
An hour and a half after the warning of an increase in the flow of the Magro River due to the danger scenario at the Forata Dam, in 7:30 p.m.CECOPI already knows, through the CHJ representative, that the reservoir falls into “scenario 3”, which indicates that the probability of rupture “is high or has already started”.
The Forata reservoir, in the La Hoya de Buñol region, has a capacity of 37 billion liters. And they had already been achieved, to the extent that the relief of the water with the valves open was lower than the entry of the water through the flow that feeds the reservoir.
The rupture of the dam would have caused a significant flood of water in the area where the Poyo ravine begins, between the towns of Chiva and Cheste.
After the conversation between Morán and Pradas, the Coordination Center (CECOPI) – which included representatives of the Government Delegation, the CHJ, the National Police and the Civil Guard (all electronically), and the Generalitat, of the Provincial Delegation of Valencia and the UME (in person) – decided to send the message en masse to cell phones.
According to the chronology that the Generalitat Valenciana provided to this newspaper of the surveillance carried out by DANA on Tuesday 29, it appears that an alert could not be sent to citizens’ phones regarding the overflow of the Poyo ravine because the CHJ only alerted in a timely manner about the situation at the Forata dam.
Especially since 6:46 p.m. The CHJ announced by email that the flow of the Poyo ravine was 1,686 m3 per second, three minutes ago the overflow was already causing havoc in towns like Paiporta.
Furthermore, according to this version of the Generalitat, no one from the CHJ or the Government Delegation verbally warned of the seriousness of the situation in this ravine, despite their presence at the CECOPI meeting. Neither did the Secretary of State for the Environment, who called to report what was happening at the Forata dam.
It is extremely surprising that the CHJ, according to this timeline, took almost two hours to raise the alarm on the situation in the Poyo ravine. And we know that 5:00 p.m.its flow rate was 325.52 m3 per second, and at 6:00 p.m.of 1,725.89 m3.
The protocols require the CHJ to immediately report any increase in flow rate greater than 150 m3 per second. However, he did not send any communication on the situation of the ravine between the 4:13 p.m.when he reports by email that the flow rate is then 28.7 m3 per second, and that the 6:46 p.m.when also for e-mail announces 1,686 m3 per second.
The chronology of the day of the 29th provided by the Generalitat begins at 7:30 a.m.this is when the Emergency Coordination Center updates weather alerts. At this time, several municipalities have informed the Ministry of the suspension of classes and citizens are reminded to pay attention to the information from 112 of the Generalitat.
HAS 8:49 a.m. 112 Emergencies The Valencian Community asks citizens to avoid driving by car and, in case of risk of flooding, not to approach areas prone to flooding to avoid possible currents of water.
HAS 11:06 a.m. The CHJ sends its first email to the Emergency Department to warn that the Poyo ravine has a flow rate of 264 m3 per second, with an “increasing trend”.
Forty minutes later, 11:45 a.m.The Emergency Coordination Center issues a special hydrological alert notice in the municipalities of the Magro River basin. This special notice specifies that municipalities must continue to monitor the evolution of the canals and adopt the relevant preventive measures.
HAS 12:20 p.m.Emergencies sends a hydrological alert, informs all the municipalities affected by the Poyo ravine and requires the creation of CECOPAL (local emergency coordination centers). Only Algemesí and Valencia are established.
After 1:00 p.m.THE advise Salomé Pradas goes to the municipality of Carlet to analyze first-hand the situation after the heavy rains fell in the region.
HAS 1:42 p.m. The second email from the CHJ arrives, in which he reports that the flow rate of the Poyo ravine drops to 120 m3 per second, with a downward trend. Despite this, Emergencies do not deactivate the hydrological alert.
After 2:00 p.m.THE advise Pradas speaks by telephone with the Government delegate and requests the intervention of the UME in Utiel, where its mayor informed him of the overflowing of the Magro river. An hour later, at 3:00 p.m.this request is officially made. At this time, all the representatives who are part of CECOPI are summoned to a meeting which will begin two hours later.
HAS 3:04 p.m. The CHJ sends its third email, this time to confirm that the flow rate in the Poyo ravine is 55.86 m3 per second. Emergencies do not deactivate the hydrological alert.
HAS 3:20 p.m.Urgences announces that the special flood plan has just been activated in the Utiel-Requena region and reports that the UME intervention request has been submitted.
HAS 4:13 p.m.the CHJ sends its fourth email on the situation in the Poyo ravine. Confirms a flow rate of 28.7 m3 per second. Despite everything, Emergencies are maintaining the hydrological alert.
HAS 4:48 p.m.Emergencies publishes a new message in which it asks citizens to be careful: “You should not be too confident, because in many areas of the coast it is not raining or it is lightly raining, but very swollen rivers and boulevards reach the coast. Avoid driving. and stay away from these coastal areas and do not cross river beds.
HAS 5:00 p.m. CECOPI is created. At this time, the flow rate in the Poyo ravine is 325.52 m3 per second. However, the CHJ does not send any communication on this subject, despite the fact that the basin organization’s protocol requires that any flood greater than 150 m3 per second be communicated to Civil Protection.
HAS 5:03 p.m. The UME announces the departure of its first troops from the Jaime I base in Valencia to intervene in Utiel.
HAS 5:35 p.m.Emergencies send a hydrological alert to the Magro and Júcar rivers. Notify all neighboring municipalities of the possibility of significant overflows.
HAS 5:56 p.m.the CHJ communicates by email that the Forata reservoir has started to release water and that flows greater than 1,000 m3 per second are expected in the Magro River.
HAS 6:00 p.m.the flow in the Poyo ravine reaches 1,725.89 m3 per second. Despite this, the CHJ does not send any communication to the Emergency Department, despite the fact that the basin organization’s protocol requires that any flooding greater than 150 m3 per second be communicated to Civil Protection.
The CHJ sends an email to 6:04 p.m.but to warn Emergencies and the Ministry of Ecological Transition of the risk that the Forata dam has entered.
And it is to 6:46 p.m. when it communicates the key message through this same system: the flow in the Poyo ravine is 1,686 m3 per second and “with an ascending and very rapid trend”. When this email arrives, CECOPI meets. Miguel Polo, president of the CHJ, is present electronically. However, according to sources from the Generalitat, no one had warned at that time of the situation in the ravine.
HAS 7:30 p.m.Emergencies activate the special flood plan throughout the province of Valencia.
Three minutes later, 7:33 p.m.the CHJ sends an email to report that the Forata reservoir discharges 900,046 m3 per second into the Magro River, which can reach up to 1,500 m3 per second. The possibility of a dam failure is discussed verbally by the members of the CHJ within CECOPI.
About 30 minutes later, 8:00 p.m.It was then that the Secretary of State for the Environment called Minister Pradas by telephone, alarmed by the situation.
Finally, at 8:11 p.m. The massive message is sent to the population via cell phones. The Generalitat Valenciana highlights, in this regard, that the ES-Alert system is not yet included in any protocol, as it is awaiting approval by the National Civil Protection Commission.
