Canary Islands Lower Landslide Alerts as Storm Therese Subsides
The Canary Islands government has downgraded landslide risk warnings across most of the archipelago as weather conditions stabilize following Storm Therese.
With weather conditions stabilizing after Storm Therese, the Canary Islands government has lowered its risk warnings for landslides across the archipelago. According to the Directorate General for Emergencies, Gran Canaria remains under an alert, while El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, and Tenerife have been moved to a lower "pre-alert" status as road conditions and high-risk areas begin to improve.
Between March 18 and April 6, the emergency coordination center (CECOES 112) managed 453 incidents. This high number highlights how vulnerable the islands are to heavy rain; experts note that volcanic soil quickly becomes saturated, making it difficult for the ground to drain excess water and increasing the risk of landslides.
The impact varied significantly by island. Gran Canaria recorded the most incidents with 243, followed by Tenerife with 148. La Palma (37), La Gomera (19), and El Hierro (4) saw fewer issues, while Fuerteventura and Lanzarote were largely unaffected, reporting only one incident each.
The worst of the storm occurred on March 24, which saw 131 landslides in a single day. Since then, the number of incidents has steadily dropped, with only four reported this past Monday. While authorities are easing preventive measures, they urge the public to remain cautious near steep slopes, where the ground remains unstable and prone to erosion even after the rain has stopped.