The rainfall episode derived from Borrasca Gabrielle has swept this Tuesday and, leaving two people seriously injured by falls suffered in the street. The city of Ibiza has accumulated 252.4 liters per square meter, 174 at the airport and 108.4 in Formentera, according to data from the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet), which it maintains has reduced the notice at the orange level on both islands and will remain until 19.00, when the situation passes to normal. The residents have received a message is alert on their mobile phones after noon warning of “torrential rains.” The population has been asked to avoid displacements and activity abroad, that it does not approach “torrents, frogs or flood areas” and that avoids low and basement areas.
Borrasca has downloaded intensity over Ibiza with rains of up to 60 liters per hour, thresholds that correspond to an orange warning. As explained by the agency, the displacement of the rains has been very slow and has caused that in some areas they have accumulated up to 200 liters in the last hours. Borrasca has then moved to Formentera where the rains are also being intense.
The General Emergency and Interior Directorate has summoned the Technical Advisory Committee of the Meteobal Plan to analyze the situation. The Committee has decided to maintain the orange alert for rains and storms in the Pitiusas and activate the operational situation 2 of the Special Plan against the Risk of Flood in Ibiza and Formentera.
The General Emergency Director, Pablo Gárriz, explained that the Emergency Military Unit (UME) has been activated that remains permanently on the island of Ibiza and will be reinforced with troops from Mallorca and Valencia. In addition, the enlistment of Civil Protection, the Balearic Institute of Nature and Firefighters of the Consell de Mallorca and the emergency department to support the most affected municipalities has been opened.
The mayor of Ibiza, Rafa Triguero, has taken stock of the situation in the city so far. He explained that two people have been seriously injured due to falls suffered in the street. In addition, emergency teams have participated in more than a hundred exits.
In total, 120 incidents have been attended by the Local Police. In addition, a special device has been deployed with the incorporation of 22 additional agents, which total a total of 50 troops. As a precautionary measure, a private nursery has been evicted and a reception space has been enabled in the fairgrounds to serve homeless or affected by weather conditions.
As a prevention measure, the Ministry of Education and Universities has asked families and teachers that students remain inside the educational centers to avoid road displacements. In addition, classes this afternoon and this Wednesday have been suspended in both in Ibiza and Formentera. The Balearic Government has advanced that technicians and architects of the Balearic Institute of Educational Infrastructure (Ibisec) will visit the schools tomorrow to review their infrastructure.
Water accumulations are causing important problems on roads and homes from different municipalities, where numerous floods are being recorded. In total, 132 incidents have been recorded on the island until noon, most of them in Vila and Sant Josep due to low floods, falling trees and water accumulations on the road.
The Insular Consell has reported several road cuts due to water accumulations, which have led to closing Vila inputs from Sant Antoni and Santa Eulària, as well as at the close of E-10. The furniture roundabout has also been closed the factory due to floods, which have caused interruptions in public transport. The road that runs through the port of the city has been fully flooded.
Firefighters in the city of Ibiza have reported that they have carried out about fifty services and have executed 15 bailouts of people trapped in elevators, vehicles and low houses, while the rest of the exits have been related to falling trees and low floods.
The torrential rains that hit the island of Ibiza have hindered access to the airport throughout the day and have caused 980 travelers to have not been able to perform at the time of embarking on their flights, reports Javier Fernández Magariño. The figure is distributed between different airlines, which have been able to overcome the worst of the storm without cancellations. The Ibiza airport manager, the public AENA, had warned of the activation of the red level by the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) and the need to “extreme precautions in the displacements.”
In the early morning, the local police of Sant Antoni have preventively evicted the Blessed School Trinidad, whose bass have been filled with water affecting the electrical installation. The senior technicians are evaluating the damage that have been recorded in the area of the chapel, which has been prevented.
In the Can Raspalls residence in Sant Josep water accumulations have occurred in the basement, where maintenance tasks are performed, but has not affected users. Heavy rains have forced the city desalinationr to stop due to the flooding of the transformer that feeds the wells, while treatment plants continue to function, although with difficulties.
In the Can Misses hospital, consultations in the health area have had to be suspended, while water leaks have affected the laboratory zone and the health centers of Can Misses and is Viver. The authorities have ordered the closure of all the beaches of Ibiza and Formentera.
