The National PP leadership’s arguments to absolve the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, of responsibility for his handling of the Dana crisis focus on the emails sent by the Júcar River Basin Authority (CHJ) to the Generalitat. They accuse the Ministry of Ecological Transition’s agency of “negligence” for not sending any communication regarding the rambla in question between 16:13 and 18:43. However, during that time frame, there were more emails sent, although they did not specifically mention the water flow levels, but rather the intense rains in the municipality of Chiva. The CHJ’s emails contradict the information blackout claimed by the PP to lay blame on the Minister in charge, Teresa Ribera, whom the PP is trying to block in Brussels as Vice President of the European Commission.
The emails sent by the CHJ to the Generalitat’s emergency service mentioned various points in the province with warnings about changes in water flow levels or rainfall. The Júcar River Basin Authority uses sensors and observations to measure water levels in real-time to detect river overflow. Throughout the day of October 29th, they sent warnings about the water flow in the Poyo river to the regional Emergency Center. Alerts were sent at 13:42, 15:04, and 16:13 reporting descending water levels, but at 18:43, it was indicated that the water levels were rising uncontrollably, exceeding the alert levels established by the CHJ. The rapid rise in water levels was highlighted, and a general warning was sent to mobile phones at 20:11. Between 16:13 and 18:43, technicians were focused on monitoring the Forata reservoir as there was a risk of dam breach.
The CHJ’s protocol states that emails should be sent to the Generalitat when the water flow levels exceed 150 m³/s. The Ministry of Ecological Transition sources mention that this information is publicly available on the confederation’s website and is updated every five minutes automatically. The Júcar River Basin Authority defended not informing about the Poyo river water flow between 16:13 and 18:43 because their technicians were focused on other urgent matters as per the Emergency Flood Plan, specifically related to large rivers and dam emergency plans. However, they did notify the Emergency Coordination Center about the sudden rise in water levels after the second meeting of Cecopi at 18:30, as required by the Flood Emergency Plan.
Carlos Mazón, the President of the Generalitat, is expected to defend his handling of the Dana crisis in his upcoming appearance at Las Cortes Valencianas. The PP and Mazón argue that the Ministry of Ecological Transition’s agency should take responsibility for the lack of timely communication about the water flow levels in the rambla, shifting the blame away from Mazón. The discrepancies in the series of emails sent on October 29th reveal a complex situation where different agencies were dealing with the unfolding crisis in real-time. The aftermath of the Dana crisis has sparked a debate about communication protocols between different levels of government in emergency situations and the importance of timely and accurate information dissemination.
