Marlaska contradicts Mazón and denies the “information blackout” of the CHJ and Aemet during the DANA

“There were all the necessary and precise warnings and on a permanent basis,” defended the minister, who stressed that “any question that is said in this regard lacks the necessary veracity and what happened.” Grande-Marlaska made these statements after participating this Saturday in the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi) of crisis management, asked about Mazón’s appearance, where he reiterated that during DANA there was an “information blackout” by the CHJ regarding the flooding of the Poyo ravine. The regional leader did highlight that the state agency reported on the situation of the Forata dam and “for that reason and no other” the massive alert was sent to the population at 8:11 p.m. that day.

Regarding the Aemet warnings, the ‘popular’ president stated that they varied during that morning and that is why both he and the Government delegate, Pilar Bernabé, said in separate appearances that day that the rains were moving north and the alert was until six in the afternoon. «I repeat again, I have already said it on some other occasion, that we can feel absolutely satisfied with two institutions such as Aemet and the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation,” stressed the minister, who denied that there was any “information blackout, quite the opposite.”

Marlaska added that “all communications are known that were developed” both from Aemet, “as it does, and continuously, and which is also automatically transferred to the set of institutions competent in emergencies”, and from the CHJ. Along these lines, he has defended that “there were all the necessary and precise warnings and on a permanent basis” and that “it was a permanent communication and, evidently, in no period of that time, at no time was there any blackout but rather the necessary timely information. and continued over time.

He has also stressed that the Government of Spain “what we are doing is being at the side of the Generalitat in the reconstruction and supporting with all the material personal means that are required by the management of the emergency, as we are doing.” And he added that, within those powers that correspond to them, they are also “informing and working with the group of affected City Councils so that they know all the means that the Government of Spain is putting, puts and will put at their disposal for recovery.” ».

The Poyo Ravine

Mazón explained, regarding the Poyo ravine, that the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) notified at 11:06, by email, the Emergency Coordination Center (CCE) of the Generalitat that the flow of this rambla was carrying a flow of 264 cubic meters per second indicating, literally, “that the flood is occurring very quickly.” For this reason, the CCE activated the hydrological alert at 12:20 p.m. and warned, through the usual means, the riverside municipalities of this boulevard to establish their respective CECOPAL (Local Emergency Coordination Centers) so that they could take the appropriate preventive measures.

The president explained that, subsequently, the CHJ sent three consecutive emails (at 1:42 p.m., 3:04 p.m. and 4:13 p.m.) indicating that the flow of the Barranco was decreasing to 120 m3/s, 55 m3/s and 28.7 m3/s. The 4:13 p.m. email is the last one that informs CECOPI – in which the president of the CHJ, Miguel Ángel Polo, participates electronically – about the situation in Barranco del Poyo.

Mazón assured that regarding the situation of this boulevard “the CECOPI will no longer receive any more information from the CHJ that afternoon.” until 6:43 p.m.» when another email is sent informing that the flow is 1,686 m3/s “four times the flow of the Ebro” and “two hours after the last email regarding the Barranco del Poyo” when in Paiporta, around 6:30 p.m., The ravine had already overflowed and the Local Police “went through the streets warning the population over loudspeakers” to take refuge in their homes. “One email among the 130 that the CHJ sends that day and which is added to another 84 emails that are received” and added that, “the most striking thing of all is that The CHJ, which is present at CECOPI, does not say anything».

In fact, the president stated in the Cortes that “there is no record in the CEE that the CHJ sent any further communication by email, or by any other means, about the Barranco del Poyo.” «At no time during the night was the Emergency Center informed that the flow had risen to 2,282 cubic meters per second, a fact that is not recorded on the CHJ website «whose last measurement is at 8:00 p.m. », he continued.