Catalonia defends withholding mobile storm alerts in Tarragona despite 41 injuries across two storms

Technical protocols and emergency thresholds

The Government of Catalonia defended its decision to withhold mobile emergency alerts during two severe storms that struck Tarragona within 72 hours. Generalitat spokesperson and Territory Minister Sílvia Paneque stated on Tuesday, following the initial cabinet meeting of the political term, that civil protection protocols mandate mobile text broadcasts only when weather risks reach levels 5 or 6 on a six-point scale. According to official forecasts, the expected severity prior to the downpours remained at level 4.

What is in the protocol is that in levels 5 and 6 of the emergency plan there can be a dispatch of ES-Alert, with whatever information is determined. At that moment it was at level 4.

While rainfall intensity escalated to level 6 on Monday, Protecció Civil determined that the window for a constructive mobile alert had already closed. Officials confirmed that Catalonia has utilized the ES-Alert system since 2023, though the executive maintains that mobile notifications serve as one component alongside municipal coordination and traditional emergency response channels.

Consecutive storms cause widespread destruction

The coastal region endured severe disruption across both weekend and weekday storm fronts. The initial deluge in the early hours of Saturday struck the Tarragonès and Baix Penedès counties, resulting in 11 injuries, the evacuation of local campsites, flooded basements, and disruptions across the Rodalies commuter rail network. In Roda de Berà, a residential perimeter wall collapsed near the marina due to heavy rain and wind, striking three family members working at a craft market and leaving a mother and her 17-year-old daughter hospitalized in critical condition at Hospital Joan XXIII in Tarragona.

A second storm front hit the region on Monday afternoon, generating wind gusts up to 117 kilometres per hour and hailstones exceeding five centimetres in diameter. The Monday squall left 30 people injured and caused extensive infrastructure damage across urban centres. Tarragona Mayor Rubén Viñuales characterized the event as a complex situation, noting that municipal drainage systems could not absorb such concentrated rainfall.

Practical risks and operational challenges

Defending the civil protection response, Paneque argued that rapid atmospheric shifts linked to climate change complicate forecasting for highly localized, short-notice weather events. Technical teams must evaluate whether broadcasting a mass warning produces unintended hazards, such as prompting residents to venture outside to retrieve vehicles from underground parking garages during overnight hours.

When the Government makes decisions it does so based on technical criteria; that has been the case until now and will continue to be so.

Regional authorities emphasized public self-protection and common sense as essential elements during flash floods. The Catalan executive announced that it will review emergency response protocols following both storms to evaluate potential adjustments, while scheduled cabinet discussions in Os de Balaguer on Friday and Saturday will address broader climate adaptation strategies.

Political fallout and parliamentary summons

The absence of mobile warnings drew sharp criticism from affected residents and opposition lawmakers. Parliamentary groups Junts and Comuns submitted formal requests demanding that Interior and Public Safety Minister Núria Parlon and the director of the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya appear before the Parliament of Catalonia to account for emergency management decisions. Paneque confirmed that the government will attend parliamentary hearings to explain the technical assessments that guided civil protection operations throughout both storm episodes.