Balearic storm Adam sparks flood-zone building ban call

145 communities face orders to stay indoors: storm Adam cuts roads and sends rivers and torrents over their banks across the Balearic Islands and Valencia on Monday, 19 October 2026. Rescue teams reach people on rooftops and car roofs. As the flooding unfolds, Greenpeace, WWF and SEO/BirdLife call for a ban on new building in flood-prone areas and a gradual move for homes already there.

Move homes away from danger

Greenpeace wants a managed plan to move people out of areas at high risk of flooding. Its proposal also covers hospitals, schools and care homes. Elvira Jiménez of Greenpeace says moving them will take time, but building more in those areas should stop now.

She warns against treating raised buildings as a complete answer. A proposal to raise buildings by one metre would still leave homes at risk if floodwater reached higher, she says.

Give rainwater somewhere to go

WWF wants money spent on changing how flood-prone land is developed and removing buildings from it. It also calls for less hard surfacing, so rain can soak into the ground, and for replanting trees on slopes.

SEO/BirdLife wants updated flood maps that take account of climate change and recent extreme weather. It also calls for rivers and their surrounding habitats to be restored, alongside changes to infrastructure that could reduce flood damage.

For Mallorca, these are calls for changes to flood-zone policy, not a new building ban or an order to leave homes. SEO/BirdLife urges people in affected areas to follow the authorities’ and emergency services’ instructions and avoid unnecessary journeys.

Topics: Housing · Environment

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com