Civil Protection issues alert for torrential rains to 14 Catalan municipalities
The towns are located in the Barcelonès, Maresme and Vallès regions.
BarcelonaHeavy rains are affecting Catalonia this weekend, and Civil Protection issued an alert this afternoon to the telephones of 14 Catalan municipalities. Torrential rains in the northern part of the Barcelona area, the Maresme region, and both the Vallès Oriental and Vallès Occidental regions have prompted the Catalan government to issue an Es-Alert (Emergency Alert) for several towns and cities, some of the most populated: Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Canovelles del Vallès, Martorelles, La Llagosta, Sant Fost de Campsentelles, Montcada i Reixac, Tiana, and Montgat.
The alert, which has also been received in neighboring municipalities, covers the next two hours, and there are already some incidents in these areas. The Fire Department has received eight calls in Badalona for water leaks and several flooded basements. The message advises against travel and outdoor activities, staying away from rivers, streams, and ravines, and not crossing flooded areas or areas with water. It also advises against going down to basements, recommending going to upper floors if water enters, and calling 112 in case of emergency. The Es-Alert is the same alert that the Valencian government sent out hours late on the day of the DANA storm, after a long meeting of more than four hours by the then regional president, Carlos Mazón.
Alerts
Firefighters received around twenty calls from noon onwards in the southern part of the metropolitan area due to the storm. The main calls were in Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet, although none were serious. The highest rainfall totals have already exceeded 130 l/m² in some areas of southern Vallès Oriental, such as Martorelles and Sant Fost de Campsentelles, and 60-80 l/m² in municipalities like Badalona and Granollers, all located near the Besòs River, which has been the affected area. During the afternoon, the rain moved eastward, mainly affecting the central part of Maresme and Vallès Oriental.
