The investigation into the catastrophic flood in Catarroja, Valencia, has intensified after a witness testified that the Es-Alert emergency notification was sent when the situation had already become critical. Testifying before Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, she said the mass alert from the Generalitat Valenciana reached residents’ phones only after floodwaters had risen to three meters. Residents had little chance to evacuate effectively. The first Es-Alert was sent at 20:11 on October 29, 2024, information from testimony reported in the judicial inquiry in Catarroja.
The witness, a camera operator for public broadcaster À Punt, described arriving in Catarroja on October 29, 2024, as the town faced the worst of the disaster. She and her colleague entered the municipality at 18:30, just as the Poyo ravine overflowed. Forced to take refuge on a second-floor balcony, they remained trapped until the following morning. The force of the water and vehicles blocking exits prevented them from escaping. The operator recounted losing their car and seeing many people stranded on the roads.
Her account, reported by EL PAÍS, indicates that the Es-Alert notification arrived only after the flood had reached a life-threatening stage. The next day, amid widespread devastation, the operator and her journalist colleague managed to leave Catarroja by stopping a passing car. She said they had prepared for heavy rain days in advance and carried rain gear in their vehicle, a detail that contrasts with the Generalitat’s position that agencies such as Aemet and the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar had not warned authorities in time.
Testimony from neighboring Picanya offers another local account of the developing danger. Mayor Josep Almenar told the investigating judge that the Poyo ravine had carried about a metre of water for much of the day and was “practically full,” close to overflowing by around 18:00 to 18:30. He said a local police officer alerted him to the danger; municipal officials had received no earlier warning from the regional emergency coordination center. By 20:11, Almenar was already telling residents not to enter garages to retrieve vehicles.
The journalist who accompanied the operator also testified that, by 16:00 on the day of the flood, the weather team understood that the Poyo ravine and others would overflow. He described the unprecedented rainfall and the concern among television staff. In her own testimony, Catarroja Mayor Lorena Silvent said the commercial area was already flooded and people had taken refuge in the town hall by the time the alert arrived. She called the message “not useful” at that stage and said the water continued rising in the town until about 02:00. Silvent also testified that no member of the regional emergency coordination structure, Cecopi, contacted the municipality during that period.
The inquiry is examining when the warning was sent and how officials decided on its wording. Former deputy director of Emergencies Jorge Suárez reportedly testified that an initial draft was discussed at about 19:06, roughly 65 minutes before transmission. Accounts of his testimony describe discussion of wording that would have told residents to remain at home, later changed to an instruction to suspend travel. The then-regional minister for Justice and Interior, Salomé Pradas, raised concerns about the legal basis for stronger imperative language. Linguistic corrections to the Valencian version were also part of the drafting process.
The delayed dispatch has become a basic issue in the judicial inquiry, which has been ongoing for 19 months. Judge Ruiz Tobarra maintains that an earlier warning could have reduced the death toll, which reached 25 in Catarroja. She also criticized the alert’s content, saying it failed to instruct residents to move to higher floors. That omission was critical: 70% of victims died in garages and ground-level areas. The disaster killed 233 people in Valencia province.
Records show the Es-Alert was sent at 20:11, by which time most of those reported missing had already died. The investigation continues to examine the actions of former Justice and Interior Minister Salomé Pradas and former Emergency Director Emilio Argüeso, both under scrutiny for their roles during the disaster. Testimony from local officials has also brought communication between Cecopi and affected town halls into focus, alongside the timing of the public warning.
Floods remain one of Spain’s most severe natural hazards, particularly in Mediterranean regions such as Valencia, where sudden torrential rain can overwhelm drainage systems and riverbeds. The Es-Alert system was designed to provide rapid mass notifications and improve public safety during emergencies. The Catarroja case has raised concerns about the timing and content of such alerts. The investigation’s outcome may influence future emergency communication and disaster-response protocols across Spain.
