The windstorm leaves around eighty injured and affects flights, trains and roads

BarcelonaUp 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.

Among those hospitalized in serious condition is another woman, 68 years old, admitted to Vall d'Hebron Hospital with a fractured pelvis and femur and chest trauma from a falling lamppost. In Girona, a 56-year-old construction worker is hospitalized at Trueta Hospital with a shattered leg after a wall he was working on collapsed on him. Among those with less serious injuries are two people, aged 54 and 51, admitted to Olot Hospital after a tree fell on them. At Sant Boi Hospital, two Civil Protection volunteers, aged 23 and 35, were discharged this Thursday with minor injuries from a falling tree. Another person injured during the day was a woman in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat who was inside her car when part of a building collapsed onto the vehicle.

Although the storm's impact has been concentrated in the Barcelona area, the restrictions announced by the government on Wednesday with an Es-Alert message have spread throughout the country. This prompted criticism from mayors in the Alt Empordà region, such as Jordi Masquef of Figueres, who complained that the entire country had been "paralyzed" when in his municipality "not a single leaf is stirring." From Girona, Lluc Salellas called for "more targeted" measures that don't make them "dependent on what's happening in Barcelona." Business leaders in Girona have also spoken out, emphasizing the economic impact of the restrictions.

More complications for public transport and on the roads

Other wind-related incidents have resulted only in material damage. Power outages have also occurred in some areas. El Prat Airport has also been affected, with some cancellations and landings at alternative airports due to the wind risk, which reached speeds of 92.5 km/h.

Difficulties with public transport have once again been widespread. Since early this morning, the Cercanías commuter rail network had closed the stations in Malgrat de Mar, Barberà del Vallès, and Premià de Mar due to the risk of the wind toppling the canopies. There have been various incidents and disruptions on the Cercanías network. For example, fallen trees on the tracks prevented trains from running between Girona and Maçanet de la Selva this morning. For the same reason, the Cercanías and regional lines between Vilanova i la Geltrú and Cunit were also suspended.

The disruptions have also been felt at Barcelona's train stations. The AVE high-speed train to Madrid has been delayed throughout the day, and the high-speed service towards France has been canceled. Dozens of passengers tried to file complaints at Sants station while looking for alternative routes to reach their destinations, Lyon or Paris. Access to France has also been restricted for trucks, as wind gusts in Northern Catalonia have reached speeds of 150 km/h, causing traffic jams on the AP-7 motorway. In fact, the Catalan road network has suffered various disruptions due to fallen trees. Among other roads, the C-31 and the coastal ring road were closed or had lanes closed.

Ninety incidents at schools

Material damage has plagued educational centers, where activities were suspended on Thursday, with around ninety incidents reported. The affected centers are mostly schools and institutes in the Barcelona area, but some are also located in the Penedès region. The buildings have suffered damage of varying degrees, the most significant being partially torn-off roofs, fallen walls and trees, and blown-off facade elements. The most severe damage is at the Nueva Fortuny School in Hospitalet de Llobregat, where roof panels from surrounding buildings have fallen. Other damaged centers include the Joan Miró Institute in Polinyà, where the wind blew off part of the gymnasium roof, and the Josep Manuel Peramàs School in Mataró, where the roof of the playground theater was torn off. There have also been some incidents at healthcare facilities, where non-urgent services had been suspended. In total, 21 have experienced structural incidents—such as the detachment of false ceilings and facade elements—or issues related to the electrical supply, with outages or brief outages in some centers.

The strong winds on Thursday also affected the Joan Gamper Sports Complex and two of the three tents of the Circ Cric in Sant Esteve de Palautordera. The wind tore the tarpaulins and bent some of the metal supports. Much of the stored equipment was blown away, but no one was injured.