Mayors of La Torre and Sedaví testify on lack of DANA flood warnings

Mayors from La Torre and Sedaví have provided judicial testimony regarding the management of the DANA weather emergency on October 29, 2024. Both officials stated they received no prior warnings about the severity of the flooding before water reached their municipalities.

Rafael Arnal, the mayor of La Torre, informed the judge in Catarroja that he managed to contact Valencia Mayor María José Catalá to report that water was already reaching waist height before he lost all communication. He noted a lack of information from the Cecopal coordination center.

Josep Francesc Cabanes, the mayor of Sedaví, testified that by the time the Es Alert was received, the flooding had already passed. He reported that Sedaví experienced no local rainfall but was flooded from end to end by incoming water around 8:00 PM. Cabanes stated he received no notification regarding the collapse of the Picanya bridge or the flooding in Paiporta, and was unable to reach the 112 emergency services as telecommunications failed.