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Torrevieja is set for a major shake-up on Wednesday March 4, but there is no need to panic. The city will be hosting “Torrevieja 2026”, the largest earthquake and tsunami simulation in its history and one of the most important civil protection drills ever held in the Valencian Community.

 

From 8am, emergency resources will begin to assemble and at 9am the operation will officially get underway, with a pre-emergency phase declared for a possible tsunami on the Alicante coast. The Ayuntamiento will activate the Municipal Territorial Emergency Plan and the CECOPAL coordination centre, along with all the usual self protection and emergency protocols.

 

One of the most visible elements for residents will be a mass alert on mobile phones. Every handset in the area is expected to receive an ES-Alert notification clearly stating that a drill is in progress so that nobody mistakes it for a real emergency.

 

Throughout the morning there will be simulated preventive evacuations at three key locations in the city: the Torrevieja International Auditorium, the Nuestra Señora del Rosario public school and the Aquópolis water park. At each site, different teams will swing into action, including intervention and security units, health and first aid staff, damage assessment crews and shelter and assistance services.

 

In total, more than 350 people will take part, drawn from the Policía Local, Guardia Civil, Civil Protection, SAMU, Red Cross, firefighters from the provincial consortia of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón, SPEIS and forestry brigades. The deployment will also feature ground units, rescue helicopters, a seaplane, drones and specialist rescue teams, along with volunteers acting as casualty role players to make the scenario as realistic as possible.

 

The exercise is due to wrap up around 12.30pm with a debriefing at the International Auditorium, where officials will review how well the different services worked together and how effective the local protocols are.

 

The Ayuntamiento has thanked the Alicante Provincial Council, the Valencian regional emergencies department and all the professionals involved, stressing that the aim is simple: to improve coordination and make sure Torrevieja is as ready as possible to protect its citizens if a real earthquake or tsunami ever strikes.

 

Image: Ayuntmiento de Torrevieja