The internal 'WhatsApps' of the Dana and the bewilderment about the alert: « They do not know how the situation is » | Spain
The cold drop Devastated on October 29 a part of the province of Valenciacaused serious floods and caused the death of at least 224 people. Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, the Catarroja judge who investigates these facts, has requested information from the authorities (Generalitat Valenciana, State Meteorology Agency, Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, Ministry for Ecological Transition …) To determine if the tragedy could be avoided. The instructor intends to know in detail who and how was the sending of an alert to mobile at 20.11 of that day, in a « remarkably late » way when dozens of people had already dowed. The judge laments « La Palmaria absence of notices to the population, which could not take any measure to protect themselves » and remember that the exclusive competence on this prevention task corresponds to the Valencian Community.
The mobile alert of the 20.11 advised to avoid the displacements when at that time, according to the story of The judge, many of the victims had died already « unable to leave the ground floor of his home, when he went down to the garage, or simply to be on public roads. » « Material damage could not be avoided, deaths, yes, » he concludes. The magistrate investigates what happened at the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi) during the meeting set for 17.00 of October 29 in which “organizations and authorities involved in emergency situations by floods” were summoned. The call included a file where the reason for the meeting was explained: « At 15.00 the emergency situation 2 for floods in the regions of the Utiel-Requena flat. »
Four months after that meeting, no one has been able to contribute the complete recording of the meeting to know what happened or any minutes were raised to register the interventions.
The Valencian Civil Protection Law left in the hands of the Minister of Justice and Interior, Salome Pradas, the Single Emergency Command. The Cecopi is an organ that is activated in emergencies of great magnitude and can make the strategic decision of issuing an alert, as it finally happened. But this agency took 3 hours and 11 minutes since the meeting started to send the warning to mobile phones, when there were already dozens of deaths.
The country reconstructs what happened at that meeting through the testimony of one of its participants, José Ángel Núñez Mora, Head of Climatology of the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) in the Valencian Community, who attended by videoconferencing to the key event replacing Jorge Tamayo, Aemet Territorial Delegate that was at that time isolated, without light and without communications except for a slight mobile coverage.
José Ángel Núñez sent dozens of messages informing them, Almost in real time, on the « very serious situation » to which I was attending within the Cecopi. Núñez intervened several times during the meeting to explain the weather and short -term forecasts. Before the word was given for the first time, the head of the weather agency wrote A tweet at 17.15: “The situation remains very adverse. It is raining with torrential intensity west of the Metropolitan Area of Valencia. Many rays and a lot of wind. More than 140 liters square meter accumulated between Real, Monserrat and Godetella and next to 100 in nearby towns ”.
What follows the information provided by Núñez to his Aemet partners through WhatsApp messages to which the country has had access. Outstanding with another color, Mazón calls that He made public last Monday.
Constitution of the Cecopi
17.26 « Critical situation »
“Critical situation. Forata reservoir almost overflowing. They are thinking of evacuating, because the unpacking is going to be very fast. The emergency scenario 2 will declare the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation ”.
17.31 « They haven't received me yet »
José Ángel Núñez responds to a person who asks how they have received him at the meeting.
17. 34 « Now it is already hydrological emergency »
“I am connected but now it is already hydrological emergency. Uff, how bad. More water enters than can relieve. They even talk that they do not rule out dam break (from Foraata). Although it is unlikely. ”
17.37. Mazón calls the Emergency Minister.
The Valencian president places at this time the first call with the counselor who was in charge of emergency management, supposedly after leaving a long food with a journalist offered by the direction of Valencian public television.
17.43 « Torrential rains »
“Now I have spoken. I have had the situation with torrential rains in the west of the Metropolitan Area of Valencia ”.
17.49. « Make up over zone already flooded »
“I've talked again, sharing the screen with radar images. Because they talk about unwinding and someone, I don't know who, he said it was to unwind over area already flooded. ”
Meeting suspension
In the first hour of meeting no one makes decisions in the Cecopi despite the information that technicians were facilitated on flooded areas and torrential rains. At 18.00 the encounter is suspended and the screens go black (as can be seen in the graph that accompanies this information). Núñez continues to inform his teammates during the pause. The judge has also asked about the break within her investigation on how decisions were made in the Cecopi.
Six calls during the blackout
During that time of suspension of the Cecopi meeting, Carlos Mazón has informed journalists that he spoke or communicated at least three times with his Interior Minister, Salome Pradas (18.16, 18.25 and 18.30) and two others with the president of the Provincial Council of Valencia, Vicent Mompó (18.25 to 18.27). At 18.28 He spoke with the mayor of Cullera.
18.22. « There are people in the roofs in an urbanization of Utiel »
“It is still raining torrential, now downstream, in the west area of the city of Valencia. The hydrological situation is very bad. There is an urbanization of Utiel with people on the roofs that emergency equipment cannot access. ”
18.40. « They ask me about canceling the bird, I have said that they do not hesitate »
“I have been asked that the government delegate is thinking of canceling the bird line. I have told him not to hesitate. Which is raining torrential in the passage zone. That only a misfortune in trains would be missing. That when I stop raining that they have come back. ” The bird line was canceled.
18.48. Mazón calls the General Director of Communication of the Generalitat.
18.58. « We had more than an hour of reflection »
“We are still waiting here, we have been reflection for more than an hour. As you can see, those of the Hydrographic Confederation of the Tagus are, but of 112, no ”.
Telematics meeting resumes
19.03. « We already connect again »
Núñez informs his companions of the resumption of the meeting, from which he has been disconnected more than an hour.
19.12. « They will send a massive message to mobile to the affected areas »
Two hours after the meeting started, you start talking about an alert that would still take an hour to send: “They will send a massive message to mobile to the affected areas. Message: « That they are connected and attentive, which is being thought to evacuate (…) a message advising confinement and attentive to future messages. »
The only sound of that meeting that has transcended the chain to be published And it records a conversation of just minute and a half at 19.15 where the Government delegate and the Interior Counselor ask a technician, who explains what the message would be like: « You can say that for an hour everyone who enters and leaves the area receives it. »
19.23. « They are talking about evicting Montroi and Real, on stage within two hours »
“They are talking about evicted Montroi and Real, on stage within two hours. 5,000 inhabitants. They do not locate the mayors of Montroi and Real. Because there are no communications. You cannot access any of the two municipalities. They are isolated. ”
19.28. « They do not know right now or how the situation is »
“The Júcar is going up a lot of flow. There are trapped people. It really is that I think they don't know right now or how the situation is. Confinement order ”. And they answer: “There must be an important lack of control. And if you have left the light, I don't even tell you. ” Núñez continues to inform: “Order of confinement and prohibition of circulation. The entire province of Valencia confined. Prohibition of circulation ”. Have you already done it public? They ask you. And Núñez replies: “No. But it is determined. All movements are suspended in the province of Valencia ”.
19.41. « They are talking about sectorizing confinements »
“I have intervened again. Because they were talking about sectorizing confinements and prohibition of circulation. I have said that I kept raining a lot in areas where it has been raining, that it will continue to do it the next few hours, surely until the early hours of the morning. I have said that this is no longer my competition but that it would seem that a not very sectorized confinement would be logical, almost massive to avoid displacements. ”
Four Mazón calls. Among the 19.41 and the 19.44he President Make four calls to different members of your cabinet. An hour and 13 minutes after his last telephone contact with the Emergency Minister, the highest authority in the Cecopi, the Valencian president has it again. In the Cecopi they have been talking about the sending of alert message to the population.
19.46. « The message is going to the entire province of Valencia »
Núñez again informs his Aemet partners about the decisions of the Cecopi. “The message is going to the entire province of Valencia. Advising not moving from home. ” « They will send mass messages SMS to the entire province of Valencia. »
20.11. Massive message
Núñez's following communication is at 20.13 with the Civil Protection alert message communicating to his AEMET classmates that “the message has been received by advising limiting movements” due to heavy rains.
20.28. Mazón arrives at the Cecopi. The Valencian president reaches the headquarters of the center in charge of managing the emergency 17 minutes after the alert to mobiles sent, according to Mazón himself.
