The warning extends until the early hours of Thursday, with a forecast of precipitation in the afternoon and evening, so outdoor activities of sports clubs have been suspended.
The City Council deploys preventive services on a morning without rainfall incidents in Cartagena. The yellow warning from Aemet extends until six in the morning of this Thursday, March 6, with a forecast of rain and storms in the afternoon and evening. The expected accumulated precipitation is 80 liters in 12 hours. For this reason, the City Council has activated its municipal services in a pre-emergency phase.
Mayor Noelia Arroyo states, «From the City Council of Cartagena, we have been acting preventively since last Friday, with the yellow warning and the contingency plan that we have activated to prevent and be able to act with Civil Protection, Local Police, and Firefighters in case of any damages.»
Due to this, on Wednesday, March 5, outdoor sports activities such as football or athletics have been suspended. This measure is a recommendation from emergency services, which has been agreed upon by the City Council’s Sports Department, the Association of Football Clubs of Cartagena and Region, and the rest of the involved teams. In this regard, athletes and their families are advised to follow the evolution of the warning through official channels and their own clubs.
The City Council has also decided to hold the traditional Call for Easter in the interior this Wednesday. The announcement of the celebrations and the delivery of municipal aid by the mayor will take place at 20:30 in the lobby of the Town Hall.
Parks and municipal gardens with perimeter fencing, such as those next to the Cartagonova stadium or the Rose Park in Ciudad Jardín, have been closed. Large trees, such as ficus and eucalyptus in the historic center, have been cordoned off. This measure will be maintained on Thursday if the meteorological warning continues.
Civil Protection of Cartagena has deployed three mobile units to monitor in real-time the evolution of riverbeds and rambla crossings, to inform about their real-time progress. The patrols of the Local Police deployed on the streets also focus their surveillance on these conflictive points, located in places like the urban area of the Benipila ravine, the west zone, and the Mar Menor. Municipal agents have preventively checked flood-prone areas where vehicles are usually parked, such as the surroundings of the Navantia shipyards or the La Azohía ravine.
The City Council of Cartagena has three teams of heavy machinery working in the municipality. They are responsible for attending to emergencies related to the accumulation of waste in riverbeds and crossings located on secondary roads, as well as removing small road debris or conditioning roads to homes that may be temporarily isolated or have access difficulties. The attended notices are focused on the west area, in towns like Tallante, Perón, or Rincón de Sumiedo. All of them are resolved without complications, despite requiring specialized machinery.
Regarding this cleaning with municipal machinery, Mayor Noelia Arroyo points out, «We are acting with the City Council’s loader trucks removing all the brushwood, that waste, that plant mass, that we see being dragged by the different rambles, blocking them. Therefore, it poses a risk for a possible overflow when a lot of water from the rains accumulates in those areas that we are especially monitoring with Civil Protection and Local Police. This action in the ramble areas is a cleaning, a prevention task that the Segura River Basin Authority has to carry out; but we have noticed that as the water has been accumulating, the mass of dirt has been moving from one ravine to another.»
Mayor Noelia Arroyo also emphasizes the impact on the Mar Menor of these episodes of rain due to the lack of cleaning of the riverbeds by the state entity of the Segura River Basin Authority. «It is one of the issues that concerns us the most, that waste mass we see arriving directly through the Albujón ravine to the Mar Menor. That freshwater continues to enter, and therefore, in the coming days, we are seeing how experts are monitoring this water entry to analyze how it may affect, as we are concerned that it may have a negative impact on the Mar Menor.»
In coordination with the Fire and Rescue Service of the Cartagena City Council and Emergency Services of the Autonomous Community, the meteorological evolution and possible incidents are monitored constantly. Although there have been no notable incidents until noon this Wednesday, March 5, Cartagena City Council’s Firefighters have their personnel ready and also carry out a preventive action. They have contacted the municipal campgrounds to activate their self-protection plans in case of an adverse situation, as well as transport services that may require assistance or a quick response.
Rain Advice
As is usual with this weather forecast, the Cartagena City Council activates its municipal services in a pre-emergency phase and reminds the population of the usual advice for these types of situations: such as checking the downpipes of roofs and terraces, keeping the drains of basements and garages clean, avoiding parking in riverbeds, or driving in flooded areas. Additionally, if necessary, the perimeter of large trees will be cordoned off. Real-time updates on weather warnings can be checked online on the Aemet website.
Road Safety Precautions
The Cartagena Local Police also advises drivers to take extra precautions when driving. With rain, braking distance increases, and visibility decreases. Therefore, it is important to avoid abrupt maneuvers, increase the safety distance, reduce speed, and ensure that the tires are in good condition. It is also advisable to avoid roads that may experience water accumulations, such as the Sifón Road that connects Santa Ana and El Bohío with Cartagena through Las Tejeras, as well as river crossings.
Municipal agents also remind that under no circumstances should a vehicle cross a flooded road or a watercourse in transit, as the risk of the car being swept away by the current is high. In case of torrential rains, the population is advised to avoid unnecessary travel. When planning a trip, real-time information on road conditions can also be checked through the DGT’s interactive map.
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