Authorities visit the most affected areas to assess the damage and coordinate recovery efforts

The Councillor for the Sea and Water Cycle, Juan Manuel Lafuente, and the Councillor for Enterprise, Employment and Energy, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, travelled this morning to the areas most affected by the DANA that struck Menorca on Thursday, stressing during the visit the Balearic Islands Government’s commitment to make available all the resources necessary to help the affected municipalities to return to normality as soon as possible.

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The government shows its support for the municipalities affected by the DANA in Menorca

Accompanied by the Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, the President of the Consell Insular de Menorca, Adolfo Vilafranca, and the Councillor for the Environment, Biosphere Reserve and Cooperation of Menorca, Simón Gornés, the representatives of the Government began their tour at 10:30 am in the town hall of Es Mercadal, one of the municipalities hardest hit by the storm, with more than 200 litres of rain per square metre.

Later, at noon, they went to Alaior Town Council, where there were also dozens of incidents, especially in the rural areas. In both municipalities, the authorities visited the homes most affected by the storm and spoke with residents to get first-hand knowledge of the situation and coordinate recovery actions. They have also begun to assess the damage, which is expected to be considerable, both to houses and public facilities.

During the visit, Minister Lafuente reaffirmed the Balearic Islands Government’s commitment to those affected: ‘We are here to express our full support and backing for the victims, as well as for the local administrations. In situations like this, all the administrations must work hand in hand to return to normality as soon as possible.

In addition, Lafuente insisted on the need to review the infrastructures related to the torrents that cross the municipalities, whose management falls to the local councils. ‘In recent times there has been a substantial increase in investment in the cleaning of torrents, but we must do more. We are committed to working closely with local councils and private landowners to improve these infrastructures and prevent future disasters,’ said the councillor.

The Consell de Menorca, for its part, is considering setting up a line of aid with its funds to meet the needs of the affected municipalities and will submit a proposal to the central government for the central area of the island to be declared a catastrophic zone after the passage of the DANA, which would allow access to state aid to mitigate the damage.

For her part, Minister Teresa Ribera confirmed that this proposal will be discussed at the next Council of Ministers and thanked the emergency teams and residents for their prudence during the storm.