On October 29, while former president Mazón was having lunch at El Ventorro, the councilors of his government were already exchanging messages in a WhatsApp group about the flooded ITV in Utiel, passengers trapped in the Picassent metro, and flooded nursing homes. The leak of these chats reveals that authorities had early information about the emergency, but the official response did not arrive as quickly as the situation demanded.
Failures in early warning and alert systems 🚨
The crisis management reveals shortcomings in the communication infrastructure between administrations. An effective alert system requires automated protocols that link hydrological sensor data with institutional messaging platforms. Instead of relying on WhatsApp groups, there should be a centralized API that activates sirens, sends mass SMS, and updates information panels in real time. The latency between risk detection and population notification was the critical point.
Tasting menu with flood warnings on the side 🌊
While the councilors debated in the chat whether the floating ITV was a new tourist attraction or a logistical problem, El Ventorro's menu offered its famous suckling pig. Next time, perhaps they should include a dish called Early Warning so that, at least, the food and the crisis management share the same table. After all, a good group chat never replaces an emergency system, even if it has more reactions than a WhatsApp status.