Reflecting on Two Decades Since Tropical Cyclone Delta’s Devastation in the Canary Islands

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Tropical Cyclone Delta, a natural disaster that profoundly impacted the Canary Islands, particularly the island of Tenerife. The cyclone’s legacy is still felt in the region, as communities remember the chaos and destruction it wrought.

Unprecedented Wind and Damage in Tenerife

The cyclone unleashed its full fury on the island of Tenerife, where wind speeds soared to an astonishing 248 kilometres per hour in the mountainous region of Izaña. This remarkable figure stands as the highest recorded wind speed in Spain’s history. Coastal areas were also severely affected, with winds reaching 152 kilometres per hour, causing widespread destruction.

The sheer force of Delta resulted in catastrophic damage to the island’s infrastructure. Among the most significant losses were the 44 electric towers that were uprooted, each standing at 40 meters tall and weighing around 20,000 kilograms. Additionally, approximately 150 poles were toppled, plunging over 350,000 residents into darkness for four days. The prolonged blackout ignited public outrage, leading to protests where citizens expressed their frustrations by banging pots and pans.

The areas most affected by the blackout included the metropolitan regions of Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Tegueste, and El Rosario, as well as the Güímar Valley and the municipalities of Fasnia and Arico. The disruption of power not only affected daily life but also highlighted the vulnerability of the region’s infrastructure to extreme weather events.

Tragic Losses and Economic Impact

The human toll of the cyclone was tragic, with one confirmed death in Fuerteventura, where a man was swept away by the violent winds. Additionally, six sub-Saharan migrants went missing when their small boat capsized approximately 200 kilometers south of Gran Canaria, underscoring the perilous conditions created by the storm.

In the aftermath of the cyclone, the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC) faced dire circumstances, necessitating the evacuation of patients from upper floors due to shattered windows. The storm’s intensity led to the suspension of classes, road closures, and the complete shutdown of airports, further complicating the recovery efforts.

The winds were so powerful that they displaced ATR aircraft weighing nearly 150 tonnes at Tenerife North Airport, forcing many passengers to spend the night at the terminal. The storm’s impact extended to maritime activities as well, with a 200-meter Trasmediterránea ferry being lifted and a tugboat sinking in Santa Cruz harbor. Additionally, around twenty recreational vessels were damaged across both Tenerife and La Palma, highlighting the extensive reach of the cyclone’s destruction.

Environmental Consequences and Communication Breakdown

The environmental damage was equally alarming. In Gran Canaria, the cyclone wreaked havoc on the iconic Dedo de Dios, a natural monument of basalt rock that has long symbolized the island’s beauty. The storm also devastated local agriculture, uprooting one-third of the trees in the capital of Tenerife and leading to the collapse of over half of the mobile network, along with nearly 9,000 fixed telephone lines.

As the chaos unfolded, stores faced significant shortages of essential items such as batteries, candles, and camping gas, leaving residents scrambling for supplies. Only a handful of radio stations managed to maintain communication with the public, thanks to their autonomous power supplies, which proved invaluable during the crisis.

A report from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) characterized Delta as a “non-tropical cyclone” that underwent processes of marine cyclogenesis and tropical transitions before evolving into an extratropical disturbance upon reaching the Canary Islands. This classification was significant, as it highlighted the unusual nature of the storm and its unexpected trajectory. Aemet noted that Delta was initially a tropical storm, a fact confirmed by the US National Hurricane Center.

The findings from Aemet also revealed that prediction models had underestimated the cyclone’s impact, leading to a slight northward shift in its trajectory and a miscalculation of wind intensity. This misjudgment underscores the challenges meteorologists face in forecasting such extreme weather events, particularly in regions prone to rapid changes in atmospheric conditions.

Key points

• The Delta cyclone struck the Canary Islands 20 years ago, primarily affecting Tenerife.
• Wind speeds reached 248 km/h in Izaña, the highest recorded in Spain.
• Over 350,000 people lost electricity for four days due to extensive damage to infrastructure.
• The storm resulted in one death and the disappearance of six migrants.
• Significant damage occurred to the Dedo de Dios monument in Gran Canaria.
• Aemet classified Delta as a non-tropical cyclone with an anomalous trajectory.
• Shortages of essential supplies were reported in the aftermath of the storm.