If we learned anything afterwards terrible consequences of DANA that devastated Valencia is that prevention measures save lives. The differences in actions and forecasts in this case were notable for this second storm which fell again on the Mediterranean slope, in special on Malaga and Valencia, and we can give several examples.
Starting with alerts. We talked about delay in DANA day notices which left more than 200 dead. That day, the alert on cell phones in the affected areas came at 8:11 p.m., when the floods were already washing away entire streets.
However, for this Wednesday’s storm, the Es alert notices arrived much earliereven the day before in the case of Malaga.
In Malaga, moreover, residents of areas near the river saw police cars passing through their streets with megaphones warning of rain and possible flooding.
Preventive evictions
Another big difference in storm management occurred with regard to preemptive evictions of the population. While in Valencia there have been no expulsions of any kind, in this Wednesday’s DANA More than four thousand people were evacuated..
Suspension of activities
Third, paralysis of work and educational activities were also treated in a very different way.
In Valencia, the paralyzed activities were of their own initiative, as we experienced in the case of the Utiel or Torrent schools. Also the University of Valencia suspended its classessomething that some members of the The Generalitat Valenciana called it “exaggerated”.
On the other hand, to prevent the consequences of this Wednesday’s storm, Classes and judicial activities have been suspended in Malagamuseums and libraries, suspensions announced the day before.
Movement restrictions
While motorists traveling on the AP7 in Valencia on the 29th had no restrictions, even though it was already flooded, more than twenty municipalities decided to restrict traffic only in Valencia.
It is clear that there was a before and after with DANA and that its terrible consequences meant that prevention measures were stepped up for this second wave of heavy rains. The result, fortunately, was remarkably different: although flooding and property destruction were recorded, no one died on the occasion of this DANA.
In addition, another series of measures were adopted and worked, such as the containment bags which the mayor of Utiel himself assured had served to prevent damage: “They were fundamental,” commented Guillermo Luján.
