The latest reports carried out by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) have shown that . A gigantic wave, preceded by a tidal wave under the Alboran Sea, which would devastate the southern peninsula in just half an hour. A terrible event, with little probability and a long period of time, which is not new in Spain. And it is that in 1755 a similar phenomenon already devastated the Bay of Cádiz.
The writings of the time say that what was experienced on the morning of November 1, 1755 was the first great natural disaster of modern times. A divine punishment, for some, eventually meant a before and after for studies on earthquakes and their terrible consequences. With an epicenter about 300 kilometers from Lisbon, in the Atlantic, this event destroyed the capital of Portugal in just 10 minutes.
However, beyond the almost 100,000 dead that it left at the mouth of the Tagus River, as far as Spain is concerned, the worst part of this tsunami was suffered by Cádiz. In direct contact with the phenomenon, since it occurred in the Azores-Gibraltar fault, the entire bay was devastated by a tsunami of about 20 meters high.
The walls of the capital reduced the impact, but the coastal towns did not suffer the same fate
A giant wave, four times bigger than the one that reached Lisbon, which caused the sea to enter the Cadiz capital and its surroundings on up to three occasions. Not without terrible consequences for the city, the Barrio de la Viña was practically destroyed and several people drowned, however the high walls that surrounded the historic center helped to minimize the damage.
The towns that are distributed along the bay and the coast of Cadiz, without strong walls, were not so lucky, and among those that were destroyed are Conil de la Frontera, Chiclana, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Rota, El Puerto de Santa María or Jerez de la Frontera. There, the damage was much greater, thousands of lives were lost and several buildings collapsed.
In addition, Huelva, Seville, Jaén, Córdoba and even the present-day Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León or Madrid also felt the consequences of such seismic movement. In total, it is estimated that more than 5,000 people died in the earthquake in Spain and the material losses were valued at more than 50 million reales de vellón.
This would be the tsunami in the XXI century
An unparalleled disaster at that time that, as a natural effect, is feared to be repeated in the XXI century. This has been shown by the CSIC that it could happen, although the most likely epicenter would be on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar, and so even the Official State Gazette (BOE) in case of emergency.
But as far as the 1755 tsunami is concerned, taken to 2021, . With an impressive video, you can see how at first the beach of La Caleta would be practically without water. All sand, it is the sign of the greatest emergency, since a giant wave is forming within the sea with all that water withdrawn.
After that, the Atlantic would spit out the tsunami, completely destroying the old spa and the buildings closest to the coast, due to the speed of between 500 and 1,000 km/h (depending on the magnitude) with which the tsunami would impact the city. . For this reason, a prompt evacuation would be necessary, in about half an hour, in order to minimize the greatest possible number of human losses.
Cadiz evacuation plan
An evacuation plan that, together with the one developed by the Ministry of the Interior and included in the BOE, . Starting with the basic measures, citizens are called to collect themselves in a security area, inside or outside their homes, but where they are protected from possible objects that could fall due to the seismic movement.
After this, and always remembering to stay calm and avoid escaping to neighboring cities, to get away from the tsunami it is best to go up to higher floors. That is, reaching the highest parts of buildings, in what is known as ‘vertical evacuation’.
Finally, and once the sea level recovers (between four and five hours from the beginning of the tsunami), the house should only be abandoned if occupying it is considered a serious risk. Without leaving the city, until all escape routes have been secured, it could be normal for the water and electricity supplies to be damaged for several weeks.
Tragic subsequent consequences that should not be taken lightly, since the real probability exists (even if it is low). For this reason, it is important to know what happened more than 260 years ago and how it should be protected today. A moment where there is more knowledge about these phenomena and for which the defense, a priori, should be stronger.
Facebook Comments
Disqus