Why didn't you get the flood alert on your phone? Here's what went wrong

People in Catalonia were taken by surprise on Saturday when they received a sudden phone alert with a loud, unfamiliar ringtone and a long message on their screens.

The alert warned of severe rainfall caused by a DANA (High-Level Isolated Depression), resulting in widespread damage and leaving two people missing.

While most people received the emergency alert, many were worried and confused when they realized they hadn’t received the notification on their phones.

Some users tried to manually activate the alert system, while others, especially foreigners, thought it might be because they were not from the region.

However, everyone in the affected area should have received the alert, regardless of who they are or where they’re from.

How does the system work?

The alerts are issued by the Operational Coordination Center of Catalonia (CECAT) under the Protecció Civil authority, which manages such warnings.

CECAT operators maintain constant communication with emergency services, including the 112 hotline, police, traffic authorities, firefighters, and meteorological agencies, to prepare for and manage major emergencies.

One of their key tools is the ES-Alert system, which has been active since 2023 and sends emergency notifications via the mobile phone network to all devices within a specified area.

Phones receive these alerts simultaneously and emit a loud, distinct sound to distinguish them from regular notifications. A detailed message then appears on the screen explaining what actions users should take.

The system can reach everyone in the targeted area within five minutes while avoiding sending alerts to unaffected neighboring regions and reducing unnecessary panic.

Most modern phones are preconfigured to receive these alerts and require no user action other than keeping the phone powered on.

Alerts are sent to everyone in the affected area, including residents and visitors, and are sent in Catalan, Spanish, and English to ensure the message is understood by all.

So, why didn’t the alert sound on some phones?

Interior minister Núria Parlon acknowledged on Sunday that, although the alert was sent to most of the population, some phone companies failed to transmit it properly.

Parlon said that "two or three operators" did not properly issue the first alert sent around midday. However, she maintained that a second alert later reached "nearly everyone."

Although Parlon did not specify which operators were affected, several users reported that customers of Orange and its subsidiaries, such as Jazztel and Pepephone, did not receive the alert.

Parlon confirmed that the issue has been reported to Spain's interior ministry, who will investigate and clarify the cause of the problem.

To learn more about Catalonia's readiness to address emergencies like this one, listen to this episode of Filling the Sink.