Marbella now has its own specific tsunami action plan

The risk of a tsunami occurring in Marbella is very low, but it does nevertheless exist. Both the fire brigade and civil protection, together with external experts in the field, have drawn up a local action plan for the risk of tsunamis to serve as a roadmap in the event of a natural episode of this kind.

“The probabilities are very low and the waves that could be generated would range between one and three metres in height. However, this type of action needs to be considered so we know how to tackle it,” Marbella’s head of emergencies, Arturo Arnalich, told SUR.

The document, to which this newspaper has had access, details in a comprehensive manner all the risk factors as well as the possible solutions. In principle, taking into account the geographical area that affects the Costa del Sol, there are four seismic sources that can cause tsunamis in the town. Depending on the level of the previous earthquake, the extent of the subsequent tsunami would also depend on this.

The study shows that the reaction time from the earthquake until the wave reached the coastline would vary from 522 seconds at Calahonda beach to 693 seconds at Guadalmina beach.

The plan also considers the most vulnerable areas, which can be summarised as harbours and coastal restaurants. It is at these points where the most material damage would occur, as they are on the coastline without perimeter walls and are likely to be dragged along by moving objects. The beaches of the eastern area such as El Alicate, Real de Zaragoza or Las Chapas, among others, are the areas with the highest density of buildings exposed to the risk of tsunamis.

E-Alert 

"It is very important, not only for an unpredictable tsunami, but for any emergency in general, that people have active warning systems on their mobile phones," Arnalich said.

In this regard, it should be noted that in the event of a possible arrival of a tsunami in Marbella, the warning would be sent by mobile telephone. Thus, from the time the tsunami is detected until it reaches the town, ten minutes may elapse. The plan foresees that the message to the residents can take six and a half minutes to arrive, so the reaction time is three and a half minutes.

The document also establishes the evacuation routes and a total of 69 meeting points to guarantee people's safety. "Once it has been approved by the Andalusian regional government, we will start with the signposting of these points, the flood zones and the evacuation routes," Arnalich added.

In Marbella, the fire brigade, civil protection groups, beach lifeguards and the Local Police are already familiar with the plan and know the formulas to be able to deal with a tsunami and get the population to safety. The mouths of the rivers Verde, Guadalmina, Guadaiza and Real are also key points for action in the event of a tsunami.