«It’s so heavy what’s going on in Valencia. We are in a war zone… The human catastrophe that exists just three kilometers from Valencia dates back centuries. Tons of mud in the streets, mountains of cars that block the way, thousands of people without homes, or without water, without electricity, without food, without cell phones. And hundreds missing, in addition to 200 dead. “We are living a kind of dystopia.” This is how Nacho García-Zarzuela, journalist specialized in sailing and new collaborator of ABC de la Náutica, recounted on November 2 the catastrophic consequences of the Dana of October 29, in his podcast La bitácora del role. The Real Club Náutico de Valencia has been one of the institutions that has dedicated itself to helping those affected since the day of the tragedy, with the help of the Valencia City Council, Red Cross, Civil Protection and Firefighters. The response of the RCN of Valencia was immediate, from the beginning. On the same fateful Tuesday of the tragedy, already at dawn, the Club, at the request of the Valencia City Council, the Fire Station and Civil Protection, got underway and formed seven rescue operations, which went to some of the most conflictive points, the Silla runway, where he managed to evacuate 40 people. “We will never forget that night,” said Marisa Arlandis, the president of the entity. It was something very intense, very difficult. We said warm clothes, sailing clothes, and no one thought about it, everyone who could came to help. We chartered seven rescue teams in record time. And with that service that was provided, 40 lives were saved. Thirty of them were in an absolutely extreme situation. In addition to the rescues carried out under the orders of the Firefighters, the Club has been in contact with all the institutions, security and rescue bodies to contribute its grain of sand to the aid. and assistance to those affected in the towns near Valencia and its districts. Converted into a shelter One of the actions has been to provide shelter in its facilities to firefighters from other communities, as well as other State security forces that have participated in the operation. The RCN of Valencia has become the rest center for the volunteer members of the Firefighters, Forest Firefighters, National Police, Civil Guard, GOAS, United Firefighters Without Borders, nurses who have arrived from Córdoba, Granada, Motril, Huesca, San Sebastian, Galicia, Alicante, Guadalajara. More than 700 overnight stays have been recorded, and they continue to add up to this day. “We called on all members to bring mattresses,” explained the president of the RCN of Valencia. Some dismantled all the beds on the ship, and we put them in our spaces so that they have maximum comfort, with the peace of mind of being able to rest for a few hours and then continue working. On the other hand, and once again with the help of all RCNV members and other collaborators, including the Valencian Community Sailing Federation and the San Antonio Pastry Horn, a contingent from the Club went out to distribute hot food prepared in their kitchens, in addition to beverages and non-perishable products, to the areas affected by DANA. Until the end, the Real Club Náutico de Valencia continued to collaborate actively in the area of El Saler and La Albufera, with the contribution of personnel and inflatable boats that helped the firefighters and UME members in the search for the missing. Danger of collisionFor weeks since October 29, the activities of the Valencia RCN were canceled or postponed to focus on addressing the emergency. Navigation was also restricted due to the danger of collision with floating objects of considerable size after the flood. These changes affected local cruising and J80 regattas and regional dinghy sailing events that were to be held in Valencian waters, as well as tennis tournaments and conferences. Today, the RCN of Valencia is resuming activity, but the reconstruction of the affected area will be very long.
#Dumps #DANA
