Wind gusts of over 100 km/h were recorded, along with a heavy hailstorm that destroyed crops and caused significant damage to infrastructure.
The Mequinenza Town Council unanimously agreed in an extraordinary plenary session to request a disaster declaration due to the damage caused by the storm that struck between Sunday, June 30th, and Monday, July 1st. Initial estimates indicate that the storm affected more than 4.000 hectares within the municipality and, to a lesser extent, the neighboring municipality of Fayón. The affected area includes crops belonging to agricultural holdings and forestland. It is estimated that in 25% of the affected area, the damage has reached 100% of the harvest, and the plants themselves have been stripped of their leaves and, in many cases, will be beyond recovery.
The affected area is located in the districts of “Barranc d'Amat”, “Auts”, “Vallaserra”, “Picarda” and “Porchina”. In just over 20 minutes, wind gusts reached 120 km/h, uprooting trees, accompanied by intense rain and a severe hailstorm that damaged fruit trees, nuts, and forestland, some of which will have to be removed. The storm also caused significant damage to infrastructure, including farms, irrigation sheds, agricultural warehouses, and roads.
Antonio Sanjuán, mayor of Mequinenza, emphasized the storm's impact on agricultural operations, "some of which will be unable to continue, and that is what we must prevent." He noted that the City Council, from the outset, "has provided those affected with a registry to document the damage in as much detail as possible as a first step," and encouraged them to contribute. Manel Molina, spokesperson for Tú Aragón, and José María Algueró, spokesperson for the People's Party (PP), expressed their support in what they described as an "exceptional" situation, adding that "the damage is so significant that it puts several growing seasons at risk."
The agreement urges the Government Delegation in Aragon, the Government of Aragon, the Provincial Council of Zaragoza, and the Bajo Cinca District to request the Council of Ministers to declare the area a Zone Seriously Affected by a Civil Protection Emergency (ZAEPC), as stipulated in Law 17/2015 of the National Civil Protection System. It also requests the implementation of aid programs for damages to farms, preferential loan programs, subsidies to address damage to municipal infrastructure, and tax exemptions. Furthermore, it asks Agroseguro to expedite, as much as possible, the assessments and the payment of corresponding compensation.
