Tenerife to conduct VOLCANEX 2026 volcanic emergency drill

The Cabildo de Tenerife is conducting the VOLCANEX Tenerife 2026 volcanic emergency drill on Thursday, October 22. The exercise, primarily centered in the municipality of Guía de Isora, involves over 1,500 participants and approximately 70 organizations, including the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), Red Cross, and various local police forces.

A key component of the drill is testing the ES-Alert system, which will send three simulated emergency notifications to mobile phones. These alerts are intended to test the population's awareness and the coordination of emergency services. The first alert will simulate an upgrade to an 'orange' volcanic alert level under the PEVOLCA plan, potentially reaching Tenerife and parts of Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro.

Simulated actions include the evacuation of residential areas such as Chirche and Aripe, tourists from the Las Terrazas de Abama hotel in Adeje, and residents of the Hogar Santa Gema senior center in Santiago del Teide. The drill also covers the evacuation of Teide National Park, rescue operations at the Chasogo refuge, and the use of 33 drones to assist in situational assessment and coordination.