Javea prepares for the Gota Fria, heavy rain season

The councillor of public Safety, Juan Ortolá, has held a meeting with all the security services and voluntary organisations to plan and co-ordinate their functions in the face of possible heavy rain. The councillor explained that the high temperatures occurring during this month of September combined with a sea temperature of around 26° are risk factors that could lead the occurrence of a “gota fría”. Therefore the department of Environment and Services is coordinating efforts to clean the drainage systems in areas most prone to flooding, such as Avenida de la Fontana, Avenida de la Libertad and Calle Niza in the Arenal and Calle Santísimo Cristo del Mar in the port. These had previously been cleared but will now be checked to remove any detritus that may have collected recently.

The department has also prepared a list of ravines and channels that need to be cleaned as well as areas which may pose problems, such as areas of bamboo cane and eucalyptus growing on the river bed of the Río Gorgos which could block bridges if torn from the surface by floodwater.

The gathering, which was attended by officers from the Policía Local, Guardia Civil, the provincial fire service, Protección Civil and the volunteer fire service of Balcón al Mar, also served to review the tasks to which each group has been assigned according to the municipal ‘Emergency Plan’ and the best way to coordinate them as well as external resources that can be called on when necessary.

The town hall has decided to transfer immediately to all schools, nurseries and education centres the notices and orange alerts determined by the ‘Emergency Plan’ before the risk of heavy rains so that they can decide on the necessary preventative measures. In addition, a booklet has been prepared with all the recommendations in case of storms and flooding which will be provided to parents of all students and at the general level, leaflets will be distributed amongst residents. The councillor stressed that this type of action is not to frighten residents but to prepare everyone on how to react if faced with such a difficult situation as the floods that devastated much of the area just four years ago.

Source: Press Release - Xàbia Ajuntament