The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, signed the decree activating the PEMU, Municipal Emergency Plan, yesterday afternoon, following the Pre-alert declaration issued this Monday by the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Directorate General of Emergencies, which declares a pre-alert situation due to rain in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura starting at 10:00 AM this Tuesday, January 13.
The Canary Islands Government's decision has been made taking into account the 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 "light to moderate rainfall on the northern slopes, with probable locally heavy showers in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Storms are not ruled out in the vicinity of the two islands".
Faced with this situation, and as a precaution, the City Council yesterday decreed the PEMU in a pre-alert status, which allows for a standby team to be available to assist the population if necessary. This standby team, in accordance with the municipal protocol for PEMU activation, is comprised of personnel from the Local Police, Civil Protection, and staff from the Public Works, Mobility, and Transport departments, among others.
From the Department of Security and Emergencies, headed by councilor Kevin Cortés, Civil Protection personnel assigned to cover the city's sensitive areas prone to flooding from rain are already in place as a preventive measure. Arrecife is identified as a natural outlet for waters that may be carried by the ravines bordering Montaña Mina, Zonzamas, and Maneje, which, due to not being channeled, are the main cause of flooding in the city center.From the Department of Public Works, under the direct supervision of Mayor Yonathan de León, several units were deployed last night, and early this morning, to install protective fencing in the area of the storm drains. The manholes in these sensitive areas of the city, whose streets are often at sea level, have had their covers raised to facilitate greater drainage