Simon Wade
NOTHING is in place to stop a repeat of the devastating floods that happened this weekend, exactly a year ago.
That’s the verdict of a high-profile Costa Blanca mayor as experts meet up at the National Flood Congress which has been held in Orihuela.
A gota fria (cold drop) storm started on the evening of Thursday, September 12, 2019, and continued through the weekend. Floods wiped out towns and villages across the Vega Baja region, killing seven people and causing millions of euros of devastation.
The mayor of Orihuela, Emilio Bascuñana, said: “We are still in fear, the necessary actions have not been addressed.”
He added: “These congresses are of little use if the needed works do not happen.
“And the reality is that we do not have the infrastructure to prevent this from happening again.”
Bascuñana went on to highlight that Orihuela has STILL not received aid that was promised from the regional government.
Regional president, Ximo Puig, has hinted he will reveal the conclusions of the Vega Baja Rehance Plan via teleconferencing very soon.
More than 380 people had applied to attend the summit, but – because of social distancing regulations – only 150 can be involved.
There was an opportunity, however, to open a photographic exhibition at the CAM Building in Orihuela.
Titled, ‘DANA and the river of solidarity’, it is expected to tour the area with images from the tragedy recorded by four professional photographers from the affected areas.
