The mayor of Cheste revealed in court that local teams had been rescuing residents for hours before the official Es-Alert was sent. The late warning is now central to the investigation into the October 2024 flood.
The mayor of Cheste, José Morell, has sharply criticized the late arrival of the Es-Alert emergency message during the devastating flood of October 29, 2024. Testifying before the judge investigating the disaster, Morell stated that local authorities had already spent four hours evacuating residents before the Generalitat Valenciana sent the official alert. The delay, he said, left the town's emergency teams and population exposed as the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Cheste, a municipality of 8,591 people at the source of the barranco del Poyo, was among the hardest hit when the rambla overflowed. According to Morell, rescue operations began at 16:30, well before the Cecopi crisis coordination body issued the Es-Alert to mobile phones. The mayor described the moment as one of "absolute bewilderment," noting that the warning arrived nearly four hours after the crisis had escalated. He also admitted initial fears that the alert might be related to the Cofrentes nuclear plant, located 77 kilometers away.
During the emergency, local police officers became trapped by rising waters. Morell recounted receiving desperate audio messages from officers saying goodbye to their families and pleading for help. As darkness fell and the town lost power, gas, and communications, Cheste was effectively cut off. One bridge collapsed and another was severely damaged, isolating the community further.
Preparations for the storm began early that day. After the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issued a red alert, Cheste closed access to ravines at 8:00 and held a crisis meeting at 10:30. Police shifts were reinforced, with support from firefighters and the Guardia Civil. The most critical moment came at 18:00, when 50 people were rescued in a single operation. Morell emphasized that no prior warnings about the severity of the storm were received from regional or provincial authorities, including the director general of Emergencies, Emilio Argüeso, who is now under investigation.
Instead, the municipality relied on weather forecasts to inform residents, close schools, and strengthen local police presence. The mayor recalled the loss of four prominent businesspeople, including Antonio Noblejas, who disappeared after lunching in Cheste. With no response from the 112 emergency hotline, local teams resorted to using private machinery and set up a makeshift shelter for evacuees, even sourcing food from Mercadona as more people arrived.
The late Es-Alert has become a focal point in Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra's investigation, which has been ongoing for 20 months. The judge maintains that earlier notification could have saved lives, especially since 70% of the victims died in ground floors and garages. She has also criticized the content of the alert, which failed to instruct residents to move to higher floors. The handling of the alert system and the broader response to the flood have drawn comparisons to other recent crises in the Valencia region, such as the political tensions highlighted in the ongoing debate over regional leadership.
Flooding remains a significant risk in many parts of Spain, particularly in areas with complex river systems and rapid weather changes. The Cheste case underscores the importance of timely communication and coordination between local and regional authorities. As investigations continue, the focus is on whether procedural failures contributed to the high death toll and what changes may be needed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
