Many citizens of the Community of Madrid were surprised this Sunday around 2:30 p.m. by a notable beeping sound that their mobile phones emitted. Different from an alarm that you would have forgotten and with a sound that has given more than a scare. In some house you have heard a "Children, what did you touch?" and in the bars the surprise has been choral before a soundtrack of several beeps at the same time. It is the first time that the Government of the region uses a massive alert on mobile phones, in this case due to the rain storm.
This is a measure of the European EU-Alert system, integrated into the National Alert Network, to notify citizens of major emergencies and send information and self-protection advice. The Central Executive has implemented the alert system - which began testing at the end of last year -, in collaboration with the Civil Protection services of the autonomous communities. In other regions of Spain, these types of messages have already been launched previously.
After the activation of phase 1 of the Special Civil Protection Plan for floods in the Community of Madrid, the Security and Emergency Agency 112 has sent a message to mobile phones that were in the region. The text asked citizens not to leave their homes if it is not necessary and to avoid taking a private vehicle.
The message is accompanied by the sound of a screeching beep lasting several seconds that has generated more than one scare and has been commented on on social networks. It has sneaked into live broadcasts, such as the Sexta news, and has also surprised the radio:
"Civil Protection Alert from the Security and Emergency Agency 112 (ASEM 112). Due to the extreme risk of storms in the Community of Madrid today, we are at level 1 of the Flood Plan (Inuncam). No "Use your vehicle if it is not strictly necessary and remain at home attentive to subsequent information updates. Please only call 112 in case of emergency. National Alert Network - ASEM 112," the message indicated.
Some citizens have had a double "scare" when receiving the message on two consecutive occasions, in Spanish and in English, according to EFE. The sound is activated even with the "silent" mode on the mobile, highlighted some users on social networks, surprised with the system.
"I was on the subway, everyone had the same sound at the same time. What a scare that is," said a user in one of the conversations about the beep on X (formerly Twitter). "I, who have the mobile in silence, was with the children eating and we have hit a boat that for what," wrote another. Several messages on social networks explained having received similar messages in other cities such as New York.
To receive this type of alert it is not necessary to download any application and it is enough to have a mobile phone turned on and located in the area where it has previously been determined that there is going to be that emergency and, in this way, the system sends a message to all telephones that have been previously located in the area of influence of the possible catastrophe.
These mass mobile alerts serve to alert the population of any emergency that requires the population to act to protect themselves, from floods to, for example, forest fires, adverse weather phenomena or chemical accidents.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) maintains the red warning (extreme danger) for rains throughout the Community of Madrid until next midnight, where they anticipate that more than 120 liters per square meter can accumulate in twelve hours. These extraordinary amounts of rainfall can generate a great impact, hence the alert message sent by 112. Here you can follow the storm in Madrid and the effects of DANA throughout Spain live.
The Madrid City Council announced the closure of municipal facilities (cultural centers, sports centers, museums that depend on the Consistory, facilitating the refund of the amount of tickets purchased) as well as the tunnels that have no alternative on the surface, with the exception of those in the M-30.
The delivery platforms Glovo and Uber Eats have temporarily suspended their services this Sunday in Madrid, as announced this afternoon, and LaLiga postponed the First Division match between Atlético de Madrid and Sevilla FC, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. this Sunday. at the Metropolitan Stadium.
Renfe allows the trips this Sunday affected by the storm caused by the passing of the Isolated Depression at High Levels (DANA) to be canceled or changed free of charge, as indicated to Europa Press.
The railway transport company has issued a statement on the occasion of DANA, which has put more than a dozen autonomous communities on alert for rain, storms and wind, especially in the center and southeast of the peninsula, where Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha They are at extreme risk (red) due to rain.
