Fallen trees, blocked roads and railway lines, and thousands of customers without power. These are some of the effects of the wind that has been affecting northern Spain since early Sunday morning, although the wind has been gradually weakening for several hours. This was confirmed by Civil Protection in a message on social media. In Ripollès, a tree that fell on a high-voltage power line abruptly left 2,900 customers without electricity. Endesa is currently working to remove it. This is not an isolated incident; more than 5,000 customers experienced problems in other areas of Girona due to various issues affecting a total of seven medium-voltage lines. The company "has reinforced its operational teams on the ground, as well as the resources at the control center" to respond to the incidents, which are mainly caused by fallen branches, trees, or other debris on the power lines.

Civil Protection will send an ES-Alert message to mobile phones this afternoon in the Alt Empordà, Berguedà, Ripollès, and the northern half of Cerdanya regions due to the risk of strong winds. The event, with gusts that could exceed 140 km/h, will begin at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday and is expected to end at 4:00 p.m. This was confirmed by the Deputy Director of Civil Protection, Imma Solé, who asked residents to avoid travel and outdoor activities in these areas, and to exercise extreme caution. Rough seas, with waves exceeding four meters, are also expected in the Alt and Baix Empordà regions.

Risk management by public institutions operates in an uncomfortable and uncertain space, ranging from reasonable prudence to overreaction aimed solely at protecting themselves from recent setbacks. When the Catalan government decreed preventative measures last week in anticipation of strong winds, some sectors felt it had gone too far: phenomena like that, or even worse, have occurred many times, although never before had such a radical response been taken. Others, however, considered the crisis to have been managed proportionately to the predicted weather threats. The debate, in any case, is not new: it forms part of a deeper question about the legitimate limits of state intervention in protecting citizens.

We have started the year with a series of events that have highlighted the weaknesses of our system. The serious disruptions to the commuter rail network, with massive impacts on the movement of people and goods, and Thursday's episode of strong winds have created a climate of uncertainty that cannot be allowed to become the new normal.

Up to nine people have been hospitalized and another eighty injured due to the windstorm that paralyzed Catalonia this Thursday. The gusts of wind brought by the storm Niles Winds have exceeded 100 kilometers per hour in many areas, especially in the Barcelona region. After the worst of the storm, the Catalan government lifted the travel restrictions it had imposed throughout Catalonia, but continues to urge caution, and educational and university activities will remain suspended until nightfall. Non-urgent healthcare services were also suspended on Thursday. Despite criticism regarding the scope of these restrictions, the Catalan government maintains that they were "appropriate and correct" and that they helped reduce risks. The still-provisional tally of the storm's impact exceeds 3,400 fire department calls for wind-related incidents. Furthermore, the strong winds further disrupted public transportation, and also affected infrastructure such as El Prat Airport, leaving some areas without power. Regarding personal injuries, 86 people required medical assistance during the day due to wind-related incidents, according to the Medical Emergency System (SEM). Thirty-four people had to be taken to health centers, and eleven of the injured were treated in the Catalan capital. The most serious injuries affected the nine people who had to be hospitalized. The Catalan Health Department specified that two are in critical condition: a 46-year-old woman admitted to Vall d'Hebron Hospital after part of a roof collapsed on her in an industrial building, and a 22-year-old man admitted to Bellvitge Hospital after being struck by a falling tree. The young man is a Civil Protection volunteer, as is another man, 23 years old, who was also seriously injured and is now hospitalized at Bellvitge.