The recent storms that have swept across the peninsula and the Canary Islands have left one thing in common: falling trees and large branches onto roads, vehicles and urban areasFrom Galicia to the Canary Islands, passing through Ceuta, episodes of intense wind have tested the trees and emergency equipment.
In various parts of the country, cases have been reported closed roads, traffic accidents and property damage directly associated with the collapse of large trees. Although most incidents have resulted in no serious injuries, the volume of reports and the impact on mobility have forced a reinforcement of the prevention and surveillance measures by the authorities.
Tree falls in Galicia: Costa da Morte, urban areas and road network under pressure
On the Galician coast, gusts of wind have caused the numerous trees falling onto the roadsespecially in the Costa da Morte. In the municipality of Corcubión, a large pine tree collapsed onto the CP-2801 road, in the Redonda area, completely blocking the road for several hours and forcing the interruption of traffic.
The impact of the tree trunk not only rendered the road unusable, but knocked down part of a stone wall which closed off the property where the tree was located, forcing Civil Protection volunteers to intervene urgently to cut up and remove the fallen wood before reopening the road.
In MuxÃa, both Civil Protection and the Local Police had to respond to a series of calls. remove trees and branches that had fallen onto various roads in Vilarmide, Senande, Leis and Morquintián. In addition, the mud and rocks washed down by the accompanying rains required action at several points to redirect the water that was flooding the road surface and prevent further incidents.
In Carnota, the storm left another notable incident: the tree falls on a power line This caused a power outage in the municipality's capital for several hours. The combination of strong winds and trees near the power lines once again highlighted the vulnerability of this infrastructure.
More than 150 incidents in Galicia: trees, branches and associated accidents
The episode of bad weather that has crossed Galicia in recent days has resulted in More than 150 incidents handled by 112 GaliciaMost of the incidents were related to fallen trees and large branches blocking roads. Emergency services have been deployed across the four provinces to clear roads and respond to hazardous situations.
According to the coordination center's report, the following were recorded: 91 interventions directly related to fallen trees and branchesIn addition to over twenty preventive actions to minimize risks and just as many due to the fall of cables, poles and signage elements on public roads, often after being hit by the trees themselves.
The province of A Coruña has concentrated the bulk of the problems, with Dozens of reports of uprooted trees in the metropolitan areaBy municipality, Vigo, Burela, Ribeira, the city of A Coruña itself and Mondoñedo stand out, where the combination of wind and softened soils facilitated the trees giving way on slopes and road margins.
Among the most striking incidents was the collision of a car with a fallen tree in Abegondo, which fortunately left no one injured, and the Culleredo incident, where another specimen collapsed onto a vehicle, causing injuries to one person and affecting several other cars in a multiple accident that forced the mobilization of ambulances and patrols.
Meanwhile, in different parts of the community, similar events have occurred falling fragments of facade and urban elements associated with the wind, which has led city councils such as Santiago, A Coruña or Vigo to temporarily close parks and open spaces to reduce the risk of branches, unstable crowns or diseased trees falling on pedestrians.
A-6 motorway and A Coruña metropolitan area: fallen trees and traffic jams
One of the episodes that best illustrates the danger of these situations occurred in the A-6 highway, near CulleredoA large tree fell onto the road in the direction of Madrid, a few minutes after eight thirty in the evening, just before the Ledoño exit, in the middle of a very busy stretch at that time.
The collapse forced a total closure of the highway This triggered a multi-vehicle accident involving at least five vehicles. Several people sustained minor injuries and were treated by paramedics, but ultimately no one required hospitalization, preventing a more serious outcome.
The road remained closed for about an hour, generating significant withholdings and forcing traffic to be diverted while workers cut up and removed the tree. Traffic was restored late that night, although maintenance crews and the Civil Guard remained in the area, as Other trees continued to fall in the vicinity, which kept the risk active.
The same pattern was repeated in the rest of the A Coruña metropolitan area: Trees lying in ditches, on sidewalks, or encroaching on traffic lanes, requiring constant interventions from municipal parks and gardens services, as well as firefighters and Civil Protection to trim unstable branches.
Gran Canaria: More than one hundred incidents and roads affected by fallen trees
Far from the mainland, the storm has also hit the Canary Islands hard. In Gran Canaria, [number of] people have been recorded. More than 100 incidents in a single nightMany of them were linked to strong winds and falling trees onto roads and parked vehicles.
During the early morning hours, several specimens gave way in municipalities such as Telde and MoyaThe mudslides fell onto cars, forcing the temporary closure of several roads for safety reasons. The situation was exacerbated by heavy rains, which caused the La Aldea ravine to overflow, further softening the ground on the slopes and embankments.
The island's central summit remains closed to trafficWith up to eight roads closed, authorities insist it is not a suitable day to travel to the higher elevations. Snow, hail, and ice in areas such as Tejeda, the highlands of Gáldar, San Mateo, and Artenara pose an added risk to the stability of the trees and road safety.
Telde: Palm trees and other trees fallen on cars and main access roads
Within the island, Telde has become one of the most affected municipalities due to the storm. One of the most striking incidents was recorded in the El Caracol neighborhood, where a tall palm tree It fell on several parked vehicles, causing extensive material damage, although no one was injured, thanks in part to the fact that the incident occurred at night.
The gusts of wind also caused the falling branches and other palm trees On Avenida del Cabildo (GC-10), the main access road to the town center, traffic had to be closed in both directions while the removal and cleanup work was carried out. Shortly afterward, the Melenara road had to be closed due to flooding, further complicating local traffic.
Episodes of [occurrences] were reported in different neighborhoods of the municipality. street furniture blown away by the windespecially garbage containers that ended up encroaching on the roadway. Municipal services also acted in the Loma de Jinámar area to reduce risks from possible tree falls in the landscaped areas, carrying out emergency pruning and cleaning up weakened specimens.
The local police, for their part, had to secure areas where the incidents occurred. partial collapses of walls and falling streetlightsMeanwhile, residents reported power outages and disruptions in neighborhoods like La Majadilla, where some of the main roads remained without power for hours.
Ceuta: landslides and downed trees with orange wind warning
In Ceuta, the passage of the Storm Emilia It has also left its mark in the form of landslides and fallen trees, in a context marked by the orange wind warning that remains active throughout the day.
One of the most sensitive areas was the Almacenes Susi area, where a A landslide caused a sheet of metal to collapse onto a car. parked, causing significant property damage. In an area where a large number of vehicles are normally concentrated, the fact that there were fewer people around at that moment prevented more serious personal consequences.
Firefighters have had to go out on numerous occasions since last night to attend to falling tree branches and leaning specimens with risk of falling, in addition to the removal of elements such as Christmas lights and overturned streetlights, which has forced the closure of lanes and the cordoning off of sidewalks as a precaution.
Tree maintenance, wind strength and recommendations to the public
The various incidents recorded in Galicia, the Canary Islands, and Ceuta once again highlight the combination of factors that explain the falling trees in urban and peri-urban environments: windstorms with very intense gusts, waterlogged soils, weakened roots and lack of periodic inspections in some cases.
Parks and gardens services remind everyone that, although in many cases a tree falling is due to extraordinary force of the windThe risk decreases if the following measures are taken: appropriate pruningRegular visual inspections and pruning of diseased or leaning trees are carried out. However, there are also instances where the intensity of the storm makes it virtually inevitable that some trees will fall.
Authorities insist on the need to Exercise extreme caution on days with wind warnings.Avoid walking in wooded areas when gusts of wind are very strong, do not park under large trees if a storm is forecast, and reduce your speed when driving on stretches of road with trees close to the road. It is also recommended to pay attention to official alerts and preventative closures of parks, seafront promenades, and mountain roads.
The succession of storms has left a landscape of Dozens of fallen trees and palm trees, blocked roads, and damaged vehicles throughout various parts of Spain, but it has also highlighted the constant work of emergency services, firefighters and municipal workers, who continue to patrol streets and roads to restore normality and reduce the risk of further episodes of bad weather.
