Canary Islands Officials Defend Weather Warnings Amid Public Skepticism, Citing "Valencia DANA Effect"

"It wasn't that bad." This common phrase, used when weather warnings don't quite match expectations, like with Storm Claudia, actually shows a "big misunderstanding" of how complicated it is to make these decisions and reports, especially in a place like the Canary Islands. That's according to Marcos Lorenzo, the Vice-Minister for Emergencies in the Canary Islands, and Vicky Palma, a meteorologist and head of the Risk Analysis Unit at the 112 Emergency and Security Center.

Both officials agree that "it's always better to be too careful." This is especially true because of the "Valencia DANA effect." Lorenzo and Palma admit that the severe flooding in the Valencian Community last year, which tragically killed 229 people, has heavily influenced all subsequent alerts across Spain. "The Valencia DANA was a turning point," says Vicky Palma.

How does this show? Generally, authorities are more on edge when nature presents a challenge. But it also affects how things are organized. For example, during Storm Claudia, Marcos Lorenzo mentioned that island water authorities were consulted "more than ever." This came after questions were raised in Valencia about the role of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (similar to a Canary Islands water council) in warning about a river overflowing.

The 'Valencia DANA effect' is also changing how recovery efforts are planned. "We're thinking much more about the recovery phase – what happens after a bad event," explains Marcos Lorenzo. "We need to make sure no one is left behind and that the days following an event are well-planned to help everyone affected." The images of thousands of people in Valencia left without support for days are still fresh in everyone's minds. So are the images of volunteers helping out with whatever they could, leading to the saying, "only the people save the people."

"We know the recovery phase needs to be planned," emphasizes Lorenzo. Palma adds two other key areas being improved since the October 2024 tragedy: "Having enough staff for emergencies and encouraging a culture of prevention and civil protection among the public." This last point relates to the frustration, sometimes even mockery, about inaccurate forecasts, which was seen again with Storm Claudia.

Both Lorenzo and Palma believe this public frustration would lessen if people understood how difficult it is to predict storms and set up response systems. "Many things need to be considered, not just the reports from the State Meteorological Agency, which is the official source for alert information," says Marcos Lorenzo. He points out that the specific location matters – "it's different if it rains in my small town of Tijarafe than in La Cuesta, Tenerife, which is much more populated and built-up." The type of weather is also a factor – "an alert for just rain is different from one that includes wind and sea, like with Claudia." The timing of events and the ongoing work on prevention also play a role.

Vicky Palma is clear: "It's cheaper to take preventative measures than to wait and deal with the emergency later." She also states that "thanks to" the staff mobilization during Storm Claudia, "there were no major incidents." She attributes the few incidents to prior prevention work, such as cleaning ravines, checking drains, banning parking in risky areas, and coordinating with all local authorities. Palma also notes that the weather forecasts were "highly accurate this time, except perhaps that the strong winds were mainly in the higher parts of the islands and on the coast, not in the midlands."

Authorities are now working, according to Marcos Lorenzo, to promote civil protection awareness in schools and community centers. "We need to reach people with drills and workshops on emergency plans and how alerts work." He also thinks information for tourists during bad weather needs improvement. "We're discussing this with the tourism sector, and they're willing to help." The goal is to prevent a repeat of what happened recently when three people died due to sea surges in Tenerife, even after a warning was issued. One of them was a tourist who had just arrived by cruise ship.