A timely warning

The wind alert that the Catalan government sent to mobile phones on Wednesday afternoon was appropriate, because, judging by the injuries and damage caused by the wind, the suspension of classes and the recommendation to work from home surely prevented further tragedies. The image of the roof collapsing onto a music classroom where no children were present is chilling. From the Terres de l'Ebre and Lleida regions, accustomed to strong winds, there has been criticism that the areas to be alerted were not selected more precisely. However, considering the number of daily commutes from all over the country to the dense Barcelona metropolitan area, it was prudent for everyone to be warned of what could happen. The increasing reliability of weather forecasts facilitates accurate preventative decision-making. But the factor that politically frees governments from restricting normal life is the irresponsibility of the Mazón government during the 2024 DANA storm. On that criminal day, partly due to the president's absence, partly due to supposedly liberal ideological scruples, the alert was finally sent when most of the victims had already died. No government wants to be caught out.

Mobile alerts also carry the implicit message of a country whose administration functions and is on alert when dangerous times approach, but they cannot replace our individual responsibility. We cannot delegate self-protection based on whether or not we received a mobile alert. Incidentally, in some US states, school days lost due to bad weather are made up at the end of the school year.