Alex Trelinski
THE VALENCIA area woke up on Tuesday morning to the effects of the DANA storm with roads closed, flooded rail lines, and two ports shut.
The Emergency Coordination Centre announced a red alert along the Valencia province coast and the northern interior.
A helicopter was deployed to help rescue a stranded truck driver in Alzira.
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Valencia City Council has ordered the closure of the city’s parks, gardens and cemeteries and recommended that schools and nursery schools stop all playground activities.
All maritime traffic has been stopped from entering and leaving the Port of Valencia and the same restriction applies to the Port of Sagunto.
Spain’s rail line company, Adif, reported that trains between Tavernes de la Valldigna and Cullera have been disrupted after an object fell on the line.
The incident has also hit services on the Valencia suburban hub running between Valencia Nord and Xeraco, and a replacement bus service is running between Tavernes and Cullera.
On the roads, the A-7 has been blocked in Alzira, and the A-3 as it passes through Chiva.
Other closures include the CV-541 between Alberic and Tous, the CV-550 in Massalaves, and the CV-557 at the access point to Gavarda and Antella from the A-7.
On the Costera the CV-645 has been cut as it passes through Xativa; in the Vall d’Albaida, the CV-612 by the Bellus reservoir and in the Plana Alta, from the CV-148 to the CV-159.
In Xativa, rain has forced the access to the Canyoles river to be cut off along the La Granja de la Costera and Annauir, as well as the underpass of the CV-600.
On the trams, lines 1, 2 and 7 of MetroValencia are running late due to blocked lines.
Classes have been suspended at 20 schools in the Valencian Community as well as on the campuses of the University of Valencia, the Universitat Politecnica de Gandia and the Cardenal Herrera-CEU University.
Rainfall has reached over 100 litres per m2 in parts of the Ribera Alta, with weather stations reporting more than 216 litres per m2 in Castello de la Ribera, 210 in Pobla Llarga and 170 in L’Alcudia.
State weather forecaster Aemet said that ‘since early morning a convective system is sweeping the Valencia province from south to north, with many lightning strikes and rainfall that could be torrential in towns close to pre-coastal mountain ranges’.
Valencia firefighters have only had three weather-related call outs in the city- and none of the incidents were serious or involved personal injuries.
Outside the city, there were around 50 incidents reported as of noon. including a high-profile rescue of a lorry driver stuck in the Alzira area.
The Ribera Alta has seen flooding in some houses in Tous which has dragged vehicles that were parked on the street.
Firefighters have had to intervene to help those affected. In addition, during the morning the access roads have been cut off and the town is currently blocked off.
There are similar problems in Llombai and Catadau.
