Ibiza will ask the State to declare it a disaster area.
The mayor lamented that many of the investments and projects made in recent months have been "destroyed."
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PalmThe mayor of Ibiza, Rafael Triguero, announced this Wednesday that he will ask the Spanish government to declare the area a disaster due to the material damage caused by torrential rains in the island's capital.
The mayor stated that "many public investments have been made in the city of Ibiza over these 27 months of work," referring to his time at the City Council. He lamented that much of this work has been "destroyed" by the downpour and flooding. "Returning the city to its original state will take time and financial resources, so this request is essential," he emphasized.
The mayor, along with the Minister of Business, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, visited the El Pratet neighborhood, one of the hardest hit by the rains. He indicated that the material damage in the city "is extensive and of considerable magnitude." The mayor explained that it had been an "intense" night of work for the municipal and emergency services, who "went all out for the city." He emphasized that the capital "started the day differently" after these nighttime efforts, but with the Avinguda de Santa Eulària, Camino de Les Feixes, and Passeig de Joan underway.
"We are working at full speed to return to normal," Triguero said, adding that the priority is to "restore traffic through all access points to the city, through all our streets, and from there, to establish the necessary restructuring." He noted that technicians from the Balearic Institute of Educational Infrastructure (IBISEC) are conducting an analysis of all educational centers and that municipal buildings will be closed until they receive the specialists' approval. Triguero emphasized his gratitude to the residents "for their commitment, their support, and the collaboration they provide at all times."
The Ministry takes the declaration of a disaster area for granted
For her part, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, assumed that the Spanish government will approve the declaration of a disaster area requested this Wednesday by the authorities of Ibiza and defended the action of the Aemet (Meteorological Agency) during this episode of rainfall to provide "the information available based on technical criteria."
"The government has always been there and we will be there now," she said regarding the declaration of a disaster area, in statements to RTVE.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has highlighted that the rainfall this Tuesday in Ibiza has been "historic and extraordinary," with a maximum recorded at the stations of 252 l/m² accumulated throughout the day in the island's capital and a record of 174 l/m².
Regarding the various alerts activated by the Agency in the Balearic Islands, up to and including the red alert, Aagesen stated that "Aemet works rigorously every day" and, in accordance with technical parameters and taking into account circumstances such as a change in wind, updated the information "at the moment it had it."
Aagesen also referred to the passage of this storm through the Valencian Country and the differences in the warning to the population compared to the woman last October. "Aemet has not failed. Using strictness, it issued the information that was available so that the authorities could make the appropriate decisions. Precisely what has changed is that this time the EsAlert has not arrived late," he said.