On 10 November 2026, the Junta de Castilla y León declared situation 2 under its Civil Protection Plan for Flood Risk, Inuncyl, across Ávila province and suspended classes in schools in 32 municipalities. The decision came after Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, issued a red warning for extraordinary rainfall. Piedralaves was among the affected municipalities. Authorities ordered residents to leave as heavy rain raised the risk of the Horcajo dam overflowing.
The evacuation order came at about 10:12 a.m., shortly after an ES-Alert reached mobile phones at around 10:10 a.m. Reports put Piedralaves’ population at about 2,200, while the wider evacuation was reported to affect approximately 3,000 people. The evacuation included 66 residents of a local care home. They were directed to the municipal sports center and San Juan de la Cruz school, as well as care facilities in neighboring areas.
Protection Civil sent ES-Alert messages to municipalities in southern Ávila. In Piedralaves, residents were told to follow the authorities’ directions, including going to the municipal pavilion or San Juan de la Cruz school. The Horcajo dam lies about 1.5 kilometers from the town and roughly 300 meters above it. Fed by the Garganta Nuño Cojo, it falls within the jurisdiction of the Tajo River Basin Authority. Reports linked the rising water levels to intense rainfall associated with storm Burna.
Agencia EFE reported that the dam’s structure was more than 30 years old and described as obsolete. The Junta’s territorial delegate said technical personnel could not guarantee that a potential collapse would not occur. That added to concern about the risk to the town below the reservoir.
Officials urged people to avoid unnecessary journeys and warned residents against crossing flooded areas or underpasses, including fords and watercourses. They advised people to keep clear of rivers and streams, as well as ravines, while the red rainfall warning remained in force.
