The Generalitat Raises Rain Alert and Warns of Over 400 Litres

The Valencian Generalitat has escalated its response to the risk of flooding in Valencia and Alicante. Safor and Marina Alta are at emergency level 1, with records potentially exceeding 400 litres per square metre.

According to articulo14.es, the Valencian Generalitat has raised its response to the risk of flooding following a day of torrential rain, flooded roads, and accumulations already exceeding 200 litres per square metre in some municipalities. Emergency Services has declared operational levels in six regions and has sent a new Es-Alert message to the population.

Both Safor and Marina Alta are at emergency level 1, while Vall d'Albaida, La Costera, Marina Baixa, and Comtat remain at level 0. This decision is based on the rain already fallen and the fear that precipitation will intensify during the night of Sunday and into Monday morning.

The State Meteorological Agency forecasts that in some areas of the southern Valencian coast and northern Alicante, records could exceed 400 litres per square metre throughout the episode. The ground is very saturated, increasing the risk of overflow.

The Emergency Coordination Centre has sent a mass alert to mobile phones along the southern coast of Valencia and the northern and inland areas of Alicante. The message warns of persistent and intense rainfall and rapid water accumulation.

The main recommendation is to avoid travel whenever possible. Civil Protection advises against crossing roads covered by water, even if they appear shallow, and to stay away from rivers, ravines, dry riverbeds, and promenades.

If water levels start to rise, Emergency Services advises seeking higher ground or taking refuge on the upper floors of buildings. They also discourage going down to garages or basements and using elevators during a flood.

Rainfall is particularly intense in Safor. Rafelcofer has recorded around 230 litres per square metre, and Real de Gandia has exceeded 226. Barx, Benirredrà, and Gandia are also experiencing significant accumulations.

In Marina Alta, Jávea is one of the most affected areas. In some instances, up to 50 litres per square metre in half an hour have been recorded, as explained by the Minister of Emergency Services and Interior, Juan Carlos Valderrama.

Flooding has already left vehicles trapped, caused issues on the road network, and resulted in material damage. In Jávea, cars have been found immobilised in areas where the water reached about half a metre.

Valderrama warns that the problem is not limited to the rain that has already fallen.

“If the rains return, we would be talking about more than 400 litres per square metre in 24 hours.”

With the ground saturated, any new heavy rainfall could quickly overflow the channels.

Emergency Services is monitoring the Vaca River, the Beniopa Ravine, the Serpis and its tributary Vernissa, as well as the Gallinera Rambla. In Marina Alta, the Portell Ravine, the rivers Girona, Alberca, and Gorgos, and the small channels around Montgó are under observation.

The Valencian Agency for Security and Emergency Response has requested affected municipalities to activate their municipal coordination centres and maintain constant vigilance over channels at risk of overflow. Since the onset of the storm, nearly 300 incidents have been recorded.