Alcoy was left reeling on Thursday evening after a violent storm swept through the city, unleashing wind gusts of up to 132 km/h and causing extensive material damage across multiple neighborhoods. In just over an hour, fallen trees and scattered debris littered the streets, while containers overturned and emergency services responded to a surge in incidents.
The Pas de Benisaidó weather station recorded the peak gust. The winds uprooted at least 30 trees and broke hundreds of branches, blocking roads and sidewalks. Solar panels and roofing materials were torn from buildings, with impressive structural damage reported in several areas. At least ten parked vehicles were damaged, some by falling trees, including on Ingeniero Colomina Raduán street in the Zona Norte district.
Rainfall added to the disruption. The ACIF station at Font Roja recorded 42 litres per square metre in one hour, equivalent to 42 millimetres of rain. Other parts of the city received between 18 and 23 litres per square metre. The downpour caused localized flooding and complicated emergency crews’ work. The Consorcio Provincial de Bomberos reported 29 interventions across the province, 21 of them in Alcoy, or about 72 per cent of the total. Firefighters and municipal teams cleared debris and secured damaged structures while working to restore impressive services after power and internet outages affected parts of the city.
Municipal authorities activated the CECOPAL, Alcoy’s local emergency coordination structure, earlier in the day after AEMET issued an orange warning. In AEMET’s warning system, orange indicates impressive danger. As a precaution, the city council closed sports facilities, municipal pools and parks, and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel. Bus services were suspended during the worst conditions, then resumed gradually three hours later.
Heavy rainfall was also recorded in El Comtat and L'Alcoià. Stations in Cocentaina, Muro, Ibi, Banyeres de Mariola and Onil reported between 13.6 and 33.4 litres per square metre. The storm’s rapid onset and intensity came amid other emergency incidents in Spain, including the wildfires that forced mass evacuations in Segovia and Castellón, as detailed in this report on emergency evacuations during wildfires.
No injuries were reported despite the scale of the damage. City officials advised residents to follow updates through official channels and call 112 only in genuine emergencies as conditions stabilized. Municipal teams and provincial firefighters coordinated the response, while public services and transport were temporarily suspended during the worst weather.
AEMET’s weather warnings give municipalities advance notice of hazardous conditions, while a local structure such as CECOPAL coordinates the municipal response. In Alcoy, measures included closing public facilities and suspending buses as crews dealt with fallen trees, damaged structures and service outages.
