Alex Trelinski
EMERGENCY alert messages will be sent this weekend to mobile phones in the Valencian Community to warn about problems caused by predicted ‘Gota Fria’ storms.
Bad weather is expected to hit the region early on Sunday morning and the text alerts will be sent to people in municipalities that could suffer flooding.
Last May, 27 municipalities in the Vega Baja area and Elche received a test warning that the Segura river had burst its banks and that flooding was inevitable.
High-pitched sounds came from the phones which could only be switched off once the message had been accessed.
The messages were sent in English and Spanish and advised recipients to go to the upper levels of their properties.
The test involved using the ES-Alert system which could be deployed across a wider area this weekend.
Valencian Justice and Interior Minister, Elisa Nuñez, said: “Rather than residents calling the emergency 112 number, it will be the emergency service that will notify people of an imminent risk in their area.”
State weather forecaster Aemet is predicting strong easterly winds and torrential rain over the weekend.
In September 2019, parts of Alicante province including the Vega Baja suffered a devastating Gota Fria amidst criticism that not enough warnings were issued along with preventative work.
GOT A STORY? Email us at tips@theolivepress.es
