Overview

• Aemet warned at 16:23 on October 29, 2024, of extreme rainfall, issuing a red alert, but the emergency coordination center (Cecopi) was not convened until 17:00.
• At 17:40, Aemet persistently alerted Cecopi to torrential rain in the Horteta and Gallego ravines, which later tripled water volumes in the Poyo basin and contributed to catastrophic flooding.
• The Mas de Calabarra pluviometer recorded 771.8 l/m² over 24 hours, nearing Spain’s national daily rainfall record and breaking multiple hourly intensity records.
• The combined peak flow from the Horteta, Gallego, and Poyo exceeded 6,000 m³/s, three times the upstream maximum recorded at Riba-roja before the gauging station was destroyed.
• Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra is investigating delays in emergency response, gaps in hydrometeorological monitoring, and institutional accountability as outlined in Aemet’s report.