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Tenerife on Red Alert as Storm Therese Forces Evacuations and Military Deployment

Authorities call a maximum emergency, reflecting severe flood risk across populated islands.

Overview

  • Authorities in Tenerife, which issued a rare red phone alert on Tuesday night, urged residents and tourists to shelter indoors as flash flooding hit northern towns and the Santa Cruz area.
  • Gran Canaria reported more than 3,000 people evacuated or stranded after days of intense rain, and island president Antonio Morales activated a Level 2 emergency to bring in Spain’s Military Emergency Unit.
  • Emergency chiefs said multiple reservoirs are now spilling into steep ravines, a controlled release that protects dams but quickly raises downstream flood risk in neighborhoods such as Agaete’s Los Pérez and El Hornillo.
  • Aviation was disrupted across the archipelago as strong winds and low visibility forced cancellations and diversions, with flights from London, Manchester and Newcastle rerouted to other islands.
  • Local police on Wednesday confirmed a man was found dead near Santa Cruz on Tenerife, as crews continued rescues and damage assessments across roads, towns and coastal areas.