The Minister of Justice and Interior, Elisa Núñez, held a coordination meeting yesterday with the competent services and organizations in emergencies to activate the prevention and action device with which to minimize the impact before the foreseeable arrival today Saturday of an Isolated Depression in Levels Altos (DANA), to the Valencian Community. Núñez also assured that the Emergency Services of the Generalitat, the consortiums and the 112 telephone number are pre-alert and ready "to act in any abnormal situation that may arise and to attend to an increase in the volume of calls".
And among the recommendations addressed to the public, the Ministry chaired by Núñez has asked it to identify if the municipality where they live or work is at risk of flooding. And the map, accessible from the website of the Generalitat Valenciana -which is reached with some patience- shows that there are a total of 102 Valencian municipalities at high risk of river flooding. Of these, 34 are in Alicante, 10 in Castellón and another 58 in the province of Valencia. The map also identifies a total of 44 at medium or low risk of flooding of marine origin, and many of them are coincidental.
The Alicante municipalities in high risk are its capital, Alicante, L'Alfàs del Pi, Almoradí, Altea, Benejúzar, Benidorm, Callosa de Segura, Calpe, Catral, Cox, Crevillent, Daya nueva, Dava vieja, Dénia, Dolores, Elda, Elche, Finestrat, Formentera del Segura, Ibi, Monòver, Novelda, Ondara, Orihuela, Petrer, El Pinós, Els Poblets, Rafal, Rojales, San Fulgencio, Santa Pola, El Verger, La Vila Joiosa and Xàbia.
In Castellón, where fewer localities are at high risk are Alcalà de Xivert, Benicarló, Benicàssin, Borriana, Cabanes, Castelló de la Plana, Moncofa, Orpesa, Peníscola and Vinaròs.
In the province of Valencia the municipalities at high risk are Alaquàs, Albal, Alboraia, L'Alcúdia, Aldaia, Alfafar, Alfara del Patriarca, Algemesí, Alginet, Alzira, Bellreguard, Benetússer, Benimuslem, Beniparrell, Canet d'En Berenguer, Carcaixent , Prison, Carlet, Catarroja, Cotes, Cullera, Daimús, Gandia, Guardamar de la Safor, Llíria, Manises, Massalfassar, Massamagrell, Massanassa, Miramar, Museros, Oliva, Ontinyent, Paiporta, Paterna, Picanya, Picassent, Piles, La Pobla de Farnals, Polinyà de Xúquer, Puçol, El Puig, Quart de Poblet, Rafelbunyol, Rafelguaraf, Requena, Riba-roja de Túria, Riola, Sagunto, Sollana, Sueca, Tavernes de la Valldigna, Torrent, Utiel, Valencia, Xeraco, Xeresa and Xirivella
The objective is to avoid repeating recent episodes such as the severe flooding in Vega Baja del Segura, in September 2019, and even going further back in time, the flooding of towns due to the intense rains produced in the Marina Alta in October 2007.
Both counties have experience under their belt and, for this reason, many of their municipalities are called upon to review their action procedures against flood risk, either integrated into the Municipal Action Plan against Flood Risk or through the Municipal Plan of Emergencies.
In this sense, the Minister of Justice and the Interior will hold a new meeting next Wednesday with these town halls and organizations to inform and coordinate the different lines of action in the event of flooding or an emergency due to adverse phenomena.
The Ministry wants to ensure that 89.4% of the municipalities with high or medium risk of flooding have already drawn up their municipal action plan against the risk of flooding during the 2023-24 campaign.
Of the 542 municipalities in the Valencian Community that must have their territorial emergency plan-PTM, 451 town councils have it approved (83.2%) and another 70 have it in the process of being drawn up. The approval in time and form of the latter would add the percentage to 96%.
Likewise, of the 227 town councils with the obligation to draft the municipal action plan against floods (PAM IN), 110 have approved it, 53 are in the approval process and 40 are drafting it.
