The ES-Alert message was sent at 22:08, by which time flooding had already caused significant issues across the province. By then, municipal firefighters in Valencia city alone had carried out over 250 operations, addressing the escalating crisis.
The Association of Victims and People Affected by the Valencia DANA criticized the timing, stating that roads were flooded, vehicles stranded, and Metrovalencia services interrupted before the alert. Valencia Airport had also closed, affecting commuters returning home from work.
Authorities Defend Alert Timing
Regional authorities defended their actions, with Generalitat president Juanfran Pérez Llorca stating that the warning followed technical criteria. Emergencies Minister Juan Carlos Valderrama added that the alert was triggered by hydrological warnings indicating a risk of rivers and ravines overflowing, emphasizing the system’s reliance on specific thresholds rather than rainfall alone.
The controversy comes after a busy night for emergency services, with Valencia’s Emergency Coordination Centre handling 1,080 rain-related incidents between 14:00 on Wednesday and 08:00 on Thursday, including 606 in Valencia city alone. Torrent recorded 80 incidents, followed by Moncada with 35, BĂ©tera with 32, Paterna with 29, and L’Eliana with 26. The most common calls involved water pumping and flooding, traffic incidents, rescues, and vehicles becoming trapped.
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Flooding Disrupts Transport and Infrastructure
The storm forced Valencia Airport to close temporarily due to flooding, while Metrovalencia and commuter rail services were disrupted. Rainfall totals reached 81.5 litres per square metre at Mestalla and exceeded 100 litres per square metre in other parts of the metropolitan area, highlighting the intensity of the downpour.
This situation echoes the devastating October 2024 floods, when emergency warning timing became a major public concern. Victims’ groups drew parallels between the two events, criticizing the response to Wednesday’s storm and questioning whether lessons had been learned from the previous disaster.
By Thursday morning, authorities began lifting hydrological alerts and reopening roads and transport services. CercanĂas C2 and C6 services were operating normally, while C1 and C3 services progressively resumed with reduced frequencies in some sections. Authorities continued to urge caution, however, with orange weather warnings still active in parts of the region.
Debate Over Alert System Effectiveness
The Generalitat maintains that the system worked as intended, with PĂ©rez Llorca stating that emergency plans and warnings functioned correctly. Valderrama explained that the mobile alert decision was based on hydrological warnings, not just rainfall.