Storm Alice reveals vulnerabilities: airport flooded, roads washed away

Alice bares its teeth: Why this storm leaves more than wet streets behind

As the first lightning streaked across the evening sky over the Balearics and the emergency services' sirens sounded like distant warnings, it quickly became clear: this was not an ordinary shower. Around 6:30 pm the sky opened its sluices, and in no time village streets turned into rivulets, squares into small lakes. Water dripped from the ceiling of the terminal on Ibiza, and on Mallorca cars stood half in water – particularly dramatic on the MA-15 near Porto Cristo, where the access to Cala Romántica was washed away in several places.

The immediately visible: damage, evacuations, cancelled flights

Eyewitnesses report wet suitcases on conveyor belts, resigned travellers and hastily cordoned-off areas at the airport. Some flights had to be diverted or cancelled. On Mallorca it was primarily narrow coastal roads and hotel access routes that suddenly became impassable. The images: water slamming against house walls, street sweepers pushing muddy, brown streaks aside, tractors hauling sandbags — typically Mallorcan, a bit of improvisation and a lot of effort.

The key question: Were we prepared — and if not, why not?

The simple answer is: partially. Protection and rescue services reacted quickly, warning apps and SMS reached many households, and evacuated residents were accommodated in community centres. The limiting answer is: infrastructures showed vulnerabilities that raise more questions. How could water penetrate a terminal roof in a modern airport so easily? Why did the MA-15 turn into a rushing torrent within minutes?

A few specific issues that matter now

First: sewers in many older towns are not designed for extreme, short-duration rainfall. They cope with moderate, prolonged rain, but not flash floods caused by downpours on sealed surfaces. Second: torrentos — the natural drainage channels — are often shortened or narrowed by construction, embankments and lack of maintenance. If these channels are not regularly desludged, the landscape loses its natural buffering capacity. Third: building and airport planning often focus on long-term, normal weather cycles rather than suddenly occurring extreme events.

Response and coordination: good, but with room for improvement

Policía Local, Guardia Civil, Protección Civil and the fire brigades worked through the night. Nevertheless, residents report delayed information in some districts and poorly signed closures on country roads. In practice, quick warnings are often digital — older residents without smartphones do not always receive them. Some neighbourhoods experienced short power outages because water tripped fuses. Evacuations were carried out in an orderly manner, but improvised emergency shelters are no long-term solution.

Concrete opportunities and solutions

The storm is also a wake-up call. In the short term, municipalities should desludge their torrent channels, check drainage shafts and prioritise risk zones like the MA-15. In the medium term, more retention and infiltration areas are needed: stormwater retention basins, permeable surfaces in new construction projects, green roofs on hotels along the east coast and systematic checks of airport terminals for weak points. Important steps would also include:

- Expanding local alarm chains that do not rely solely on smartphones (sirens, SMS, radio announcements).
- Regular emergency exercises with municipalities, hotels and airports so that procedures are well practised.
- Financial incentives for private retention buffers, de-sealing urban areas and funding programmes for water-sensitive urban design.
- Better maintenance of natural torrent channels that once drained the island — without them the intermediate storage is missing.

What to do now — practical and quick

For residents: check basements, take photos of damage, inform your insurer. Avoid flooded roads (the MA-15 towards Porto Cristo remains critical) and follow the instructions of the emergency services. For municipalities: prioritise repair of washed-out access roads and inspection of bridges and dams. For tourism businesses: update emergency plans, inform guests transparently and assess ground-floor rooms for short-term protection.

A slice of everyday life afterwards

The morning after smelled of wet asphalt and damp earth; birds began to chirp again, tractors idled with a low hum, and in some towns people shoveled mud into sacks along the promenade. A neighbour said dryly: "I've never seen anything like this here." The island is showing its rough side. Alice exposed vulnerabilities — and with that opened an opportunity to become smarter and more resilient.