Towns and cities across the Valencia region of Spain were hit hard by the equivalent of a year’s worth of rainfall in just a few hours, causing at least 217 deaths.
Telefónica also suffered during the storms, with the CEO suggesting its fixed and mobile infrastructure was “hit hard” and thanked staff and volunteers trying to get services back up and running.
“I can’t find the words to express our gratitude and gratitude to all of you,” Álvarez-Pallete wrote.
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The increased rainfall came during a meteorological event known as a Dana — where warm, moist air combines with cold air to create an unstable weather event.
More than 250 Telefónica base stations, several network nodes, fibre exchanges and part of the operator’s fibre network were affected or “directly destroyed” by the flash flooding.
The Spanish government has deployed military personnel and hundreds of volunteers from across the continent have come to find those trapped by rising waters.
“There are moments that define us as people, as citizens, as a company or as a society,” Álvarez-Pallete wrote. “Moments that put us to the test and demand that we respond. Moments in which we cannot remain indifferent.
“What happened in Valencia, the scale of the disaster, the impact on the lives of so many people, what is still being suffered there is something that demands that we react as people, as citizens and as a company. And we are doing so from the very first moment.”
The CEO said that from the off, Telefónica’s staff were “on the move.”
“First to check that all our team and their families were well and immediately to make ourselves available to the authorities and emergency services to restore service in the affected areas.
“Aware that communication is always essential, but especially in such extreme situations, our teams worked tirelessly to recover the service and today we can say that a large part of the affected areas are back up and running.”
Álvarez-Pallete expressed desperation to get the company’s services back up and running to support rescue efforts, writing: “It is part of our history. People serving people. People who want to make our world more humane. We are needed and we cannot fail.
“Thank you all for your commitment to people. Thank you for what you have done so far. I dare to ask you to continue because there is much to do and we cannot remain indifferent. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
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