Mijas activates the territorial emergency plan in pre-alert due to storm Leonardo

The City Council of Mijas has activated the pre-alert phase of the Municipal Territorial Emergency Plan due to the forecast of worsening weather conditions, "especially from Wednesday," due to the arrival of storm Leonardo. The decision, made this Monday, was taken in a meeting of the emergency advisory committee convened by the town's mayor, Ana Mata, after analyzing the "unfavorable" weather warnings forecasted for the coming days on the Costa del Sol.

Among the measures adopted, as reported in a statement, is the closure of municipal parks, the Coastal Path, and also the river accesses. The Council has explained that the condition of the ground, "already very wet from recent rains," along with the forecast of strong wind gusts, increases the risk of falling trees and branches, "as well as landslides of architectural elements such as cornices, or billboards."

The City Council is asking for "special caution from the population" and adherence to all indications from the Local Police, Firefighters, and Civil Protection. These security and emergency bodies are on alert and prepared to "reinforce the guard shifts if necessary," depending on the evolution of the warnings issued by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) for rain, wind, and coastal phenomena.

The advisory committee maintains permanent contact with the Emergency Services 112 Andalusia and has insisted on conveying a message of prudence to the citizens for the coming days, which could experience various levels of alerts depending on the weather situation. Currently, heavy rains are expected in the Costa del Sol region from Tuesday night and throughout Wednesday, as well as strong winds heading into Thursday.

Given the possibility of landslides due to unstable soil, both Local Police and Firefighters will be "especially vigilant from today" in monitoring sensitive areas, aiming to prevent incidents and restrict access to "areas considered dangerous." The committee has emphasized the importance of residents respecting the closure of river crossings, and above all "that no citizen removes the barriers that are down."

The City Council also maintains coordination among all municipal areas that could be affected in case of worsening weather conditions, both for potential damage to people and animals. The Council recalls that similar episodes have already caused incidents throughout the current autumn-winter season, hence the insistence on the need to act responsibly.

The meeting was attended by councilors responsible for various areas involved in emergency management: Local Police, Juan Carlos Cuevas; Firefighters and Civil Protection, Francisco Jerez; Operational Services, Beaches, Parks and Gardens, Daniel Gómez; Livestock and Rural Areas, Eloy Belmonte; and Social Inclusion, Mari Francis Alarcón, as well as the chiefs of Local Police and Firefighters.