It has rained intensely this Tuesday morning across most of the Vega Baja with accumulated amounts of between 15 and 40 liters per square meter, as indicated by the forecasts and it will continue to do so throughout the day according to the State Meteorological Agency .
The storm has caused the usual traffic problems in Torrevieja on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, Rosa Mazón and Delfina Viudes , as well as access to the salt pans via the N-332 and the complete flooding of Calle Joaquín García in the Doña Inés urbanization, where the water has flooded many homes.
At the request of the Ministry of Education, the municipalities of the Vega Baja de Albatera, Algorfa, Almoradí, Benejúzar, Bigastro, Callosa, Catral, Cox, Formentera del Segura, Guardamar del Segura, Granja de Rocamora, Jacarilla, Los Montesinos, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada, Guardamar, Rafal , Rojales, Redován, San Isidro and Torrevieja have decided to suspend schools this Tuesday due to the risk of heavy rains, in a move that affects more than 35,000 students.
The first municipality to make the decision was Orihuela, which through a mayoral decree, suspended classes in educational centres and activities in sports facilities due to the weather alert situation. They will restart again, if there are no incidents, on Wednesday.
The same decision was adopted by the municipalities of Torrevieja and Pilar de la Horadada and just after that, more than fifteen other municipalities of Bajo Segura throughout late Monday afternoon.
The decision was based on a report from the Emergency staff, in response to the notice that the Department of Emergencies has received from the Emergency Coordination Center of the Generalitat, which establishes a pre-emergency for orange level rains and storms on the southern coast from the province.
The State Meteorological Agency reflects an important risk prediction with a precipitation of up to 80 mm in 12 hours.
Afloja de momento la lluvia en #Torrevieja después de acumular casi 40 litros por metro cuadrado en las últimas horas. En la Urbanización Doña Inés vemos de nuevo las calles anegadas y prácticamente entrando a algunas casas. El vídeo nos lo envía Marzena. pic.twitter.com/pKLMpLks8c
— Proyecto Mastral (@ProyectoMastral) May 23, 2023
For this reason, the Oriolan City Council, with similar measures in the rest of the municipalities, has decreed the suspension of classes and outdoor activities and the closure of schools and municipal sports and cultural facilities.
The decree was communicated to the Local Police, Emergencies and Civil Protection, educational services, centres and the departments of Sports, Markets, Festivities and Education.
Torrevieja
A couple of hours after the decision by the Orihuela City Council, Torrevieja adopted the same measures. “Due to the weather alert announced by AEMET, to avoid risks, classes are temporarily suspended in all educational centres across the Municipality on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, restarting the activity again, on Wednesday, unless further communication” .
To the south, the Pilar de la Horadada City Council confirmed the suspension of classes, as was also the case in all the neighbouring Murcian municipalities.
In addition, any activity dependent on the City Council, which would take place outdoors, was temporarily suspended.
The alert inevitably recalls the shocking images of the DANA, some of which are shown below, that devastated Vega Baja in September 2019, as it passed through Orihuela.
