Storm red alert: Alt Empordà limits travel until Sunday
The Catalan government has restricted non-essential travel in the Alt Empordà and 19 other counties because of torrential rain. The restrictions run from 8pm this Saturday until 2pm on Sunday.
The measure also suspends a wide range of outdoor activities. These include visits to natural areas, parks and urban gardens, as well as sporting, cultural and leisure events. Open-air markets, fairs and other outdoor commercial or public gatherings are also cancelled.
The Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government, sent an ES-Alert to warn people about the measures. ES-Alert is the emergency system that sends warnings directly to mobile phones in an affected area.
Which areas are affected
All the counties, or comarques, under the restrictions have the highest level of rain warning, a red alert. In the Girona area, the list includes the Alt Empordà, the Baix Empordà, the Garrotxa, the Gironès, the Pla de l'Estany, the Selva and the Ripollès.
The restrictions also cover a large part of the Barcelona and Tarragona areas. The affected counties there are the Alt Penedès, the Baix Llobregat, the Barcelonès, the Garraf, the Vallès Occidental, the Vallès Oriental, the Maresme, Osona, the Moianès, the Alt Camp, the Baix Camp, the Baix Penedès and the Tarragonès.
For readers in Empuriabrava and Castelló d'Empúries, this means the rules apply across the whole municipality and the surrounding Alt Empordà.
An "exceptional" storm
At a press conference, Meteocat, the Catalan weather service, described the incoming storm as "exceptional". It said there could be a possible "mini-hurricane".
The rain is expected to get heavier over the coming hours. The worst of it is forecast for overnight from Saturday into Sunday and for Sunday morning. That is why the government chose to apply the restrictions from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon.
Flood zones, schools and remote work
The government's resolution goes beyond travel limits and event cancellations. It suspends any activity located specifically in a flood-prone area.
It also suspends educational activity, and it asks employers to let staff work from home wherever possible.
Emergency plan reactivated
Imma Solé, deputy director of Civil Protection at the Generalitat, spoke to the press early on Saturday afternoon. She said the Inuncat plan, Catalonia's emergency plan for flooding, is once again in its emergency phase.
Solé warned that the level of danger in the coming hours is six out of six, "with widespread impact".
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, was expected to chair a meeting on Saturday afternoon to follow the rainfall and the Inuncat plan. The meeting was set to take place in the Cecat room at the Department of the Interior. Cecat is the Catalan emergency coordination centre.
What residents should know
In practice, people in the Alt Empordà are being asked to stay at home unless their journey is essential between 8pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Outdoor plans for Sunday morning, from walks in natural areas to markets and sports, are suspended.
Anyone who lives or works in a flood-prone area should take particular care. The government's resolution names these zones specifically. Residents should keep their phones switched on in case further ES-Alert messages are sent, and should follow updates from Civil Protection and Meteocat.
What This Means
For a community like Empuriabrava, built around canals and low-lying land close to the sea, a red alert for torrential rain deserves to be taken seriously. The government's decision to name flood-prone zones in its resolution suggests that the authorities see flooding as the main risk, not only the rain itself.
The words used by officials also stand out. A danger level of six out of six, a storm described as "exceptional" and the return of the Inuncat plan to its emergency phase all point to a situation well beyond a normal autumn downpour. The phrase "once again" in the emergency phase also indicates that this is not the first time the plan has been activated recently.
Many international residents and second-home owners may not be used to such measures. The restrictions are short, but they are broad. It is worth watching how heavy the rain turns out to be overnight. It will also be important to see whether the restrictions end at 2pm on Sunday as planned or are extended. Residents should also look out for any damage reports from the Alt Empordà once the storm passes.