Is Lanzarote prepared for heavy weather?

Lanzarote responded brilliantly to Valencia’s flood disaster, but is the island itself prepared?

In the worst affected areas of Valencia, a year’s worth of rain fell in an hour, causing deadly torrents of filthy water that smashed flood defences and swept away anything in their path including scores of vehicles, many containing people.

Lanzarote joined most other Spanish regions in solidarity with Valencia, as the Cabildo and several Ayuntamientos held silences, and public events were cancelled during the three days of official mourning.

Lanzarote firemen joined a team of 70 Canarian emergency workers who flew to Valencia to help with the pumping out of homes and garages, while the island’s Civil Protection unit organised a collection of food and other necessities.

The floods have also raised questions about how well Valencia’s authorities had prepared for the floods and are sure to prompt a review of how ready the Canaries are to deal with adverse weather events that climate change scientists believe are becoming more frequent and more extreme.

In March 2002, flash floods in Tenerife caused eight deaths, and seven more died three years after during Tropical Storm Delta. With this in mind, the Canarian government often veers on the safe side when it comes to issuing warnings and closing schools, with the result that many citizens complain that they are scaremongering.

But alerts are likely to be treated more seriously after Valencia. Below is a summary of what every Canarian resident needs to know about weather warnings:

One of the main complaints of the victims of the Valencia floods was the late warnings issued by the regional government, which did not activate an emergency E-S alarm until the floods were underway.

Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, issues three levels of weather alert – yellow, orange and red. Yellow is the mildest, advising only that you stay updated, while an orange alert will mean the cancellation of certain activities. A red alert warns of extreme weather and usually comes with advice not to leave your home or take unnecessary journeys. Warnings and forecasts can be found on www.aemet.es/en

A similar “traffic light” system is also operated by the Canarian Government, whose emergency and health departments may also issue separate alerts. These are often more specific than national alerts and will be covered by local news sources.

To receive regional updates, follow 112 Canarias on social media or download the 112 Canarias app.

Finally, the highest level of alert is the E-S alert call, which sends a warning to all mobile phones in the region with a squawking alarm sound. To date, no such alert has ever been issued on Lanzarote, although a couple of drills have taken place.