The storm is reactivated in the Ebro: Civil Protection asks for confinement to the residents of Baix Ebre and Montsià

Tortosa / BarcelonaThe heavy downpours that have struck the Terres de l'Ebre region during the early hours have not ceased. In fact, this Friday, at first light, they have reactivated with force. The Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) has already issued two new warnings, one to warn of the intensity of the rain and a second to request the confinement of the residents of Baix Ebre and Montsià.

The new warning sets a rain risk level of 6/6 until 9:20 a.m. and warns that more than 90 liters per square meter may be exceeded in three hours in these two counties. The texts, broadcast via mobile phones, warn of major flooding and ask the public not to go outside. It also recommends accessing upper floors if flooding is detected on the ground floors of buildings.

Torrential rains at this very point have already left up to 192 liters per square meter accumulated in Mas de Barberans and 147 in Tortosa over the last 24 hours, and during the night they have caused flooding in streets and caused ravines to overflow. The mayor of Santa Bàrbara, Lluis Gimeno, told Catalunya Ràdio that in his municipality they have recorded 113 liters in just one hour. "An excessive amount of water is falling and this is overflowing the streets and the municipality's drainage systems," he said. "Now that the day is breaking, we will see the real damage inside homes and warehouses, and we will see how we have to react," added Gimeno.

The Fire Department has responded to 50 alerts in the two regions between eleven at night and six in the morning, while the Ebre Emergency Region has accumulated 71 since the evening. Most have been for flooding in ground floors, mobility problems, and electrical incidents.

The 112 emergency phone number has received 242 calls up to six in the morning. In any case, for the moment, there have been no major incidents, Civil Protection points out. The situation of the ravines in the Cardó and Els Gaviots mountain range, and the La Galera ravine, is worrying the emergency services. The Pelós ravine has overflowed in Santa Bàrbara and several streets in Tortosa have been flooded. There are four roads closed: sections of the C-12, the T-1025, the TV-3421, and the T-331.

The Minister of Interior and Public Security, Núria Parlon, has asked the public for "maximum caution and prudence" in the face of this episode and to be "alert" to warnings. She said this in a statement from the CECAT (Operational Coordination Center of Catalonia), which has been active throughout the night monitoring the downpours. During the day, before 10 p.m., the Generalitat Fire Department had also attended to about fifty alerts due to the rains across the country and the 112 emergency service had already received 190 calls, none of them with a notable incident, as reported by Imma Solé, deputy director of Civil Protection.

In parallel, one person had to be taken to a hospital center this Thursday following the rain episode. As reported by Civil Protection, the person presented injuries of a less serious nature. The Government also indicates that the Medical Emergency System (SEM) has received thirteen alerts with a total of twelve people affected.

First cancellations

Furthermore, in view of the forecast that the downpours will continue to be intense in the south of the country this Friday, several municipalities in Montsià and Baix Ebre have suspended classes. Specifically, there will be no school in all the towns of the Montsià region – Alcanar, Amposta, Freginals, la Ràpita, Mas de Barberans, Masdenverge, Santa Bàrbara – and in Deltebre. In Tortosa, for now, municipal facilities have been closed, but the suspension of classes has not been confirmed. In these areas, municipal facilities and spaces have also been closed as a preventive measure.

Rainfall records have increased considerably during the early morning: 192 litres per square metre have accumulated in Mas de Barberans and 147 in Tortosa in the last 24 hours. The director of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Sarai Sarroca, explained that after a few hours with more local and disconnected precipitation, the situation could intensify during the early morning. In a media briefing, the head of forecasting at Meteocat, Santi Segalà, warned that the storms may be accompanied by violent weather phenomena, such as tornadoes, waterspouts or strong gusts of wind. The rainfall may continue during the morning and extend towards the Camp de Tarragona area.

Suspensions also on Renfe

The heavy rains, once again, are also affecting mobility. Renfe has announced the suspension of several long-distance services on the Mediterranean corridor between Catalonia and the Valencian Community due to the storm. Regional trains have also been affected and there have been changes to routes. Railway circulation remains conditioned by the evolution of the rainfall and safety checks on the infrastructure.

The Valencian Community, on red alert

The Valencian Country is also being a victim of the heavy downpours. The rains that have fallen so far in Castelló have left accumulations exceeding 100 litres per square metre in several spots and have led the Valencian Government to send three ES-Alerts. The episode has also caused flooding and mobility disruptions.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has activated a red alert for rain in areas of Castellón and the coast of Valencia, given the forecast that very significant amounts of precipitation will accumulate in a few hours. In addition, fifty municipalities have suspended classes this morning, including some of the towns most affected by the DANA two years ago, given the forecast for continued rain.