Powerful Waves Pound the Coastline
One of the worst effects of Storm Emilia was felt out at sea. Waves of almost six metres and a churning coastline were pounded by powerful surges throughout the day yesterday. Fortunately, the raging sea did not cause any significant incidents. All eyes were on the archipelago’s shoreline due to the weather warnings, especially after the sea claimed five lives in the Islands last week – four at the Isla Cangrejo natural pool in Los Gigantes, Santiago del Teide, and one more in Yaiza, Lanzarote – due to the recklessness and carelessness of swimmers and fishermen. Consequently, many municipalities doubled down on security to try to prevent similar incidents.
Preparedness Prevents Major Damage
Thankfully, this Saturday nothing so serious was reported and the swell did not cause major damage either. In Garachico, one of the towns accustomed to suffering damage during sea storms, they had prepared thoroughly in anticipation that it could happen again. The municipal councillor for Security, Elvis de León, stated that “the forecasts had scared us, but in the end, although the sea was rough, the incidents have been minor.” This held true during the first high tide of the day at 8:16 am and again during the second at 9:01 pm. The seafront promenade was closed to traffic and pedestrians from 6:00 pm, with traffic diverted through the interior streets of the town centre. Although the sea breached the walls on several occasions, it caused no damage.
Increased Vigilance and a False Alarm
Police surveillance at coastal spots was also increased in La Laguna. The heavy swell caused damage to the Camino de San Juanito in Punta del Hidalgo, which remained closed from Friday. Despite this, the Local Police had to warn several people who had ventured onto the path, ignoring the danger signs. In San Juan de la Rambla, an alarm was raised yesterday when the OneUp rescue system was activated. This device, installed at the Charco de La Laja pool, contains a mini-flotation device that can be triggered if a person is in danger. Fortunately, it was a false alarm, as the system was activated by the powerful waves. The municipality also kept bathing areas closed to avoid incidents at one of the Tenerife coastline spots that has claimed lives in the past.
Travel Disruption and Improving Conditions
The poor sea state did cause problems for those trying to travel between islands. Not only did the boats that managed to sail encounter a difficult crossing, but several routes and journeys had to be cancelled. In the case of Naviera Armas, the ships Volcán de Taidía, Villa de Agaete, Volcán de Tamasite and Ciudad de Valencia were forced to suspend their journeys and will resume service from today at different times.
The rough sea conditions will subside from this Sunday. On Saturday, the State Ports buoy located northeast of Gran Canaria registered waves of over five metres in height, although the maximum height was greater. The orange or yellow warning for adverse coastal phenomena will remain active this morning across all the Islands. As the day progresses, they will be progressively deactivated. The last islands to see a return to normal sea conditions will be El Hierro and La Palma, where the State Meteorological Agency will lift the warnings from 2:00 pm.
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