In the wake of the recent torrential storms which lashed parts of Mallorca and caused serious flooding in Ibiza and Forementera, Palma will keep the pre-alert of its Territorial Emergency Plan (PLATER) activated throughout October and November 2025. This is the first time that this measure has been applied in the event of heavy rain, storms or flooding, according to the mayor, Jaime Martínez, before chairing the annual meeting of the Municipal Civil Protection Commission.
Keeping the plan active in the pre-alert phase will strengthen the municipality's response capacity in the event of an emergency. The members of the commission will be ready to be respond at any time, with constant and permanent surveillance beyond situations where it is known with certainty that an adverse weather phenomenon is approaching.
In 2026, this operation will be brought forward to 15 August and will remain in place until the end of November. ‘It allows us to be prepared in case action is needed,’ said the mayor. This plan has been implemented on other occasions when the situation has required it.
The meeting also announced the launch of a new information leaflet that will be distributed to the population containing protective measures and recommendations in the event of dangerous situations: advice on how to act during storms, torrential rain, snowfall or episodes of extreme cold, which will be available in Spanish and Catalan and also in digital format. This leaflet will be distributed in municipal buildings, citizen service offices (OACs), libraries, neighbourhood centres and the Town Hall itself.
The head of the Palma Fire Brigade, Eder García, stressed the importance of prevention: "One of the keys to avoiding disasters in the event of flooding is to give early warning and provide citizens with guidelines to follow. This is a very firm objective that we have set ourselves for 2026."
The Civil Protection Commission has also reviewed the actions taken in 2025 and outlined the lines of work for next year. Progress has also been made in updating the Emergency Plan. The Government Delegate in the Balearics, Alfonso Rodríguez, has made himself available to Ibiza Town Council and the Council of Ibiza to draw up, as soon as these institutions provide a list of damages, the relevant report for the declaration as an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency, which will enable it to receive financial aid from the State.
According to the Government Delegation in the Balearics, Rodríguez conveyed this to the heads of the institutions during his visit to the island. The delegate sent a message of solidarity to those affected by the storm, conveying his wish ‘that they may return to normality as soon as possible, with the institutional support necessary in these circumstances’. He said that ‘the Spanish Government has always been and will always be involved in the reconstruction of territories affected by adverse events’.
He also highlighted the intervention of the State security forces, the Army and the UME (Military Emergency Unit), in coordination with the rest of the personnel who acted in the emergency, which was key to ensuring the protection of people and avoiding consequences in terms of human lives.