Normalcy returned to the coast of El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo, Güímar, Fasnia and Arico yesterday after the damages caused by the strong waves that occurred during the early hours of Wednesday. Only 19 out of the 150 homes that were evacuated preventively remain in that situation, awaiting the technical inspection reports to ensure their good condition. These are the most affected and all are located on the front line of the coastal area: 14 in Las Maretas; 5 in Las Arenas. All their residents were relocated with relatives or to other homes (except one). The residents of five houses in Candelaria, 70 in Güímar, and seven in Arafo had already returned the day before yesterday.
The high tide in the early hours of Thursday did not cause any damage to homes in the Southeast region. Its effects consisted of depositing rocks and soil on promenades, streets, and roads. The General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands ended the alert for the risk of coastal flooding at 10:00 yesterday, while the Island Council kept the Insular Emergency Plan of Tenerife (PEIN) active due to the declaration of an alert for the risk of coastal flooding and forest fires.
19 homes of the 150 affected remain evacuated / J. A. M.
Candelaria
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The Municipal Emergency Plan of the Villa Mariana was deactivated early yesterday. At the same time, the gradual reopening of the beaches started, except for Playa La Viuda, closed due to the damage caused to the access to the bathing area, which poses a risk to the population; the access to Punta Larga beach nearest to the Tenerife Tour complex and a section of Los Guanches Beach, from one of the entrances halfway along La Arena street to the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias.
The parking area in front of the Town Hall and the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias reopened early, while the San Blas promenade remains closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
At Playa La Viuda, the residents of the five evacuated houses returned, and the house damaged by the strong waves in the early hours of Wednesday remains standing. It is uninhabited.
Arafo
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In the adjacent Lima Beach, the Arafo Town Hall is carrying out the cleaning of the area affected by the sea, which caused damage to the lighting and the Las Piteras street itself.
19 homes of the 150 affected remain evacuated / J. A. M.
Güímar
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Hours of shovels and cleaning are what the Güímar coast has been facing since yesterday, where the consequences of the sea storm will require a more thorough intervention in some areas. This is the case of the curve of the TF-616 road, which runs from La Caleta to El Tablado, located after the Santa Lucía cave, southbound. The presence of a blowhole suggests that the sea has eroded the road. Today, technicians from the Island Council (the road’s managing authority) will inspect the area.
The sea seriously affected the breakwater of Charco del Socorro as well as the avenue of this neighbourhood; it filled the Punta Prieta pool with rocks and “partially broke” the promenade next to Edelmira Pérez Campos street, in El Puertito de Güímar. The Municipal Council’s goal is to carry out works to recover bathing areas from El Socorro to El Tablado, an action that the City Council will undertake over the next 10 days, as it has already communicated to the Provincial Service of the General Directorate of the Coast and the Sea. Specifically, the Council’s intention is to intervene in Charco del Socorro and in the beaches of Cabezo (Puertito de Güímar), La Caleta, La Puente, and Caleta del Tablado.
Arico
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The most complicated situation remained yesterday on the coast of Arico, where it was necessary to evacuate a hundred residents due to the strong waves that began to hit the Southeast of Tenerife around three in the morning on Wednesday. Thirty of them could not return to their homes as of the 60 affected, 14 houses are still awaiting technical evaluation to authorize their return. During the afternoon, the authorities were working to find accommodation for a person who resides in Las Arenas. The Town Hall maintains the coordination centre it set up in Las Maretas operational, while carrying out the necessary cleaning and debris removal works in all public spaces. In the late afternoon, the First Vice President and the Primary Sector Councillor of the Tenerife Island Council, Lope Afonso and ValentínGonzález and currency respectively, visited the most affected areas by the sea action: the towns of Las Eras, El Porís de Abona, Las Arenas, and Las Maretas.
Besides the damages to some homes, imperfections were also found in bathing areas, promenades, beaches, and streets. The local government understands that the necessary actions will be carried out as an emergency response.
19 homes of the 150 affected remain evacuated / J. A. M.
The Operation
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Since the early hours of Wednesday, the operation comprised members of the Tenerife Firefighters Consortium; the Local Police forces of Candelaria, Arafo, Güímar, and Arico; Canarian Police, National Police, emergency services 112 from the Canary Islands Government, Security and Emergency personnel from the Tenerife Island Council, as well as Civil Protection teams from La Orotava, Granadilla, La Laguna, Santa Úrsula, El Rosario, Garachico, La Matanza, Tacoronte, Candelaria, Arafo, Güímar, and Arico; Canarian QRV Emergencies, Anaga Emergency Aid, Association for Development and Emergency Actions (ADAE), and Tamadaya Emergencies.
Recommendations
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Authorities appeal to citizens’ shared responsibility and reiterate the need to follow established instructions, as well as urging them not to access areas that may pose a risk. The Tenerife Island Council reminds that in a coastal phenomenon or flood risk situation, individuals should not place themselves at the edge of piers or breakwaters where waves crash, avoid risking taking photographs or videos on the coastline where waves break, refrain from driving on roads near the shoreline during high tides, and avoid engaging in sports and recreational activities close to the coastline.
The strong waves began to be noticeable during the high tide at three in the early hours of Wednesday. It affected the coast between El Rosario and Arico. In the municipality of El Rosario, only one home was ultimately affected, which was occupied but did not require evacuation or clearance. During the day, around 150 people had to leave their homes throughout the region due to the flood risk considering the effects of the first sea onslaught and the forecasts for the high tide at 3:30 in the afternoon on the 10th: five homes in Playa La Viuda (Candelaria); 15 in Playa de Lima (Arafo); in Arico, 60; one in Bocacangrejo (El Rosario), and in Güímar, another 70.
The strong waves flooded houses, streets, and roads, affecting vehicles and public furniture. In addition to causing damage to roads, promenades, alleys, and paths, it also harmed infrastructure such as the Tajao dock (Arico), the coastal road from Agache passing through Santa Lucía and El Socorro avenue (Güímar), as well as the municipal swimming pool in Candelaria, where it put a home in Playa La Vida at risk of collapse and worsened the condition of another house on Obispo Pérez Cáceres street, which had been severely damaged by a storm that occurred on May 23, 2021.
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During yesterday’s early hours and throughout the day, the situation normalized. The undertaken task is to clean, repair, and assess the damages.
