¿Quién avisó del desbordamiento? Un testigo y la verdad
Sep 18, 2026·1 min read·Graded Spanish · word-by-word audio
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El diputado de Bomberos de Valencia, Avelino Mascarell, participó en la reunión del Cecopi el día de la dana de 2024. La exalcaldesa de Chiva, Amparo Fort, dijo ante la jueza que avisó del desbordamiento del Poyo. Mascarell respondió: «No me acuerdo. Si lo dice la alcaldesa, será verdad».
La exalcaldesa explicó que el 29 de octubre llovió desde primera hora, pero paró hasta las 15:00. Sobre las 17:00, desde su casa vio que el barranco estaba «bien». Luego empezó a bajar agua con coches y contenedores. A las 17:30 ya había llamadas al 112 por problemas muy graves.
Sobre las 19:00, «vino un golpe de agua brutal, como si se hubiese abierto un pantano, y se desbordó absolutamente todo». Entonces llamó a Mascarell. La acusación popular de Compromís estudia denunciarle por evasivas. Otra testigo, Rosa Tourís, dijo que en el Cecopi «no se habló del Poyo, solo de Utiel/Requena y la presa de Forata».
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Watch out, English speaker
English speakers often use the simple past for everything, but Spanish distinguishes between the preterite (completed actions) and the imperfect (ongoing or background states). In "La alcaldesa llamó a Mascarell y le avisó del desbordamiento," llamó and avisó are preterite because they are single, completed events. If you used the imperfect here, it would sound like the mayor used to call or was calling, which changes the meaning entirely.
In Spanish, the future tense (será) can express probability or conjecture about the present, similar to English "it must be" or "it's probably." The sentence "Si lo dice la alcaldesa, será verdad" means "If the mayor says so, it must be true"—not "it will be true." English speakers often mistakenly translate será as a future event, but here it's about the present moment.
Key vocabulary
diputadom.
delegate, representative; member of parliament
“El diputado de Bomberos participó en la reunión.”— The firefighter representative attended the meeting.
Pattern diputado de Bomberos firefighter representative
Compare representante representative
plural diputados
💡 From Latin deputare (to assign), referring to a person who is assigned
alcaldesaf.
female mayor
“La alcaldesa llamó a Mascarell.”— The mayor called Mascarell.
Pattern la alcaldesa de Chiva mayor of Chiva
Compare regidora female municipal official (in some regions)
plural alcaldesas; masculine alcalde
💡 From Arabic al-qadi (judge), later referring to a municipal official
desbordamientom.
overflow, flooding
“Avisó del desbordamiento del Poyo.”— He warned about the overflow of the Poyo.
Pattern desbordamiento del río river flooding
Compare inundación flood
plural desbordamientos
💡 From desbordar (to overflow), borde means edge
barrancom.
ravine, gully
“El barranco estaba bien.”— The ravine was fine.
Pattern barranco del Poyo Poyo riverbed
Compare cañón canyon
plural barrancos
💡 Cognate with barro (mud), referring to a ravine carved by muddy water
testigom./f.
witness
“Otra testigo declaró este lunes.”— Another witness testified this Monday.
Pattern testigo clave key witness
Compare declarante declarant
plural testigos
💡 From Latin testis, cognate with testificar (to testify)
evasivaf.
evasion, dodging
“Le censuraron que contestara con evasivas.”— They criticized him for answering with evasions.
Pattern contestar con evasivas to answer evasively
Compare excusa excuse
plural evasivas
💡 From evadir (to evade), referring to evading an answer
denunciarv.
to report, denounce; to sue
“Estudian denunciarle por evasivas.”— They are considering reporting him for evasions.
Pattern denunciar a alguien to report someone
Compare acusar to accuse
conjugation: denuncio, denuncias, denuncia...
💡 From Latin denuntiare (to announce), a legal term
presaf.
dam, reservoir
“Solo se habló de la presa de Forata.”— They only talked about the Forata dam.
Pattern presa de Forata Forata reservoir
Compare embalse reservoir
plural presas
💡 Cognate with prender (to seize), referring to a structure that holds back water
brutaladj.
brutal, violent
“Vino un golpe de agua brutal.”— A brutal surge of water came.
Pattern golpe brutal brutal impact
Compare violento violent
singular brutal; plural brutales
💡 From Latin brutalis (beast-like), emphasizing great force
registrom.
record, log
“Según los registros, la llamada fue a las 18:55.”— According to the records, the call was at 18:55.
Pattern registros de llamadas call records
Compare documento document
plural registros
💡 From registrar (to register), referring to an official record
Grammar spotlight
Past tenses: pretérito indefinido vs. pretérito imperfecto
A2
The pretérito indefinido expresses completed actions, such as llamó (called). The pretérito imperfecto describes background or ongoing states, such as estaba (was). The two often appear together.
“La alcaldesa llamó a Mascarell y le avisó del desbordamiento.”— The mayor called Mascarell and warned him about the overflow.
⚠️ Do not use the imperfect for a one-time completed action; *llamaba* should be llamó.
Conditional-like future: será for speculation
B1
The future tense (será) can express speculation about a present situation, equivalent to 'it must be' or 'it's probably.' In the text, «Si lo dice la alcaldesa, será verdad» means 'If the mayor says so, it must be true.'
“Si lo dice la alcaldesa, será verdad.”— If the mayor says so, it must be true.
⚠️ Do not confuse speculative será with future time; here it does not refer to the future.
Sentence patterns to steal
No me acuerdo. Si lo dice la alcaldesa, será verdad.
I don't remember. If the mayor says so, it must be true.
No me acuerdo. Si + statement, será + adjective/nounYou can replace alcaldesa with another person and verdad with another noun.
Se quedaron sin agua, sin luz, sin carreteras y sin gas durante una semana.
They were without water, electricity, roads, and gas for a week.
quedarse sin + noun + durante + timeYou can replace the nouns after sin and the time after durante.
Vino un golpe de agua brutal, como si se hubiese abierto un pantano.
A brutal surge of water came, as if a reservoir had burst open.
como si + past perfect subjunctiveYou can replace se hubiese abierto un pantano with another simile.
En el Cecopi no se habló del Poyo, solo de Utiel/Requena y la presa de Forata.
At Cecopi, no one talked about Poyo, only about Utiel/Requena and the Forata reservoir.
no se habló de + noun, solo de + nounYou can replace the topics discussed.
What is a DANA?
A DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos) is a common extreme weather phenomenon in Spain, referring to an isolated cold low in the upper atmosphere that often causes heavy rain and flooding. The DANA of October 29, 2024, caused severe flooding in Valencia, especially the overflow of the Poyo riverbed, leading to major damage.