The Mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, signed the decree activating the Municipal Emergency Plan (PEMU) to alert status yesterday afternoon. This action is in response to the Atlantic storm Charles, the third major impact storm of the season, and follows guidance from the Directorate General of Emergencies of the Canary Islands Government.
The mayor, along with the Councilor for Security and Emergencies, Kevin Cortés, has deployed a device that is carrying out preventive work in areas of the capital of Lanzarote most susceptible to flooding. The City Council is directly monitoring coastal phenomena, winds, and rainfall.
The activation, signed on Tuesday, November 10, assigns a team of personnel to assist the population in case of intense winds, waves, and rain expected this afternoon and evening in Lanzarote. The City Council is informing citizens that with the PEMU activated, they should avoid parking vehicles in areas prone to flooding.
The decision was made considering information provided by the State Meteorological Agency and other available sources, and in application of the Canary Islands Specific Emergency Plan for Adverse Meteorological Phenomena Risks (PEFMA), which forecasts probable incidents across all islands of the Canarian Archipelago.
Under the PEMU's ALERT status, teams from the Local Police, Civil Protection, and personnel from Public Works, Mobility, and Transport departments are assigned to assist the population. Councilor Kevin Cortés noted that Civil Protection personnel are already covering sensitive areas of the city prone to flooding, given Arrecife's location at the natural outlet for waters from adjacent ravines.
The Public Works department, under the direct supervision of Mayor Yonathan de León, has deployed personnel to install protective barriers around storm drains, with grates being raised to facilitate greater drainage in sensitive city areas where streets are often at sea level. These preventive measures, implemented during the current term, have helped minimize the effects of heavy rains in previous alert episodes.
The Local Police have cordoned off several streets prone to flooding, including Portugal and Doctor Fleming in the La Verga neighborhood, and El Antonio in Titerroy. The Department of Mobility and Transport, led by Councilor Mario González Altube, has placed barriers to redirect traffic in these and other areas specified in the Arrecife Emergency Plan.
Mayor Yonathan de León reminds residents that in emergency situations, they should call 112, which will activate the necessary emergency services in the city if required.
