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Wednesday morning began unusually in Torrevieja. Thousands of mobile phones suddenly emitted a loud emergency alarm at the same time.

It was a test of the ES-Alert system during the largest earthquake and tsunami drill ever organised in the city.

Local authorities had warned residents about the exercise more than a week in advance through official channels, social media and local news outlets.

However, reading about a drill online is very different from hearing the alarm on your own phone.

The editorial team of Torreviejactual.com reviewed around five hundred comments posted by residents in Torrevieja Facebook groups.

This is not a scientific survey, but it does reflect the mood of the city.

First reactions

“My phone screamed and I thought it was a real earthquake.”

“I almost dropped my coffee.”

“In the bar everyone jumped when all the phones started ringing.”

“My heart skipped a beat.”

“My dog ran under the table.”

Surprise

“I didn’t even know this system existed.”

“Did anyone understand what was happening?”

“When I saw the word tsunami I got nervous.”

“My phone decided to scare me during breakfast.”

Reactions from foreigners

“I thought it was a real emergency alert.”

“I didn’t understand the Spanish message.”

“Tourists were looking at each other trying to understand.”

Positive reactions

“Better to practice now.”

“It’s a good idea.”

“We live by the sea, we should be prepared.”

“Now we know how the alert works.”

Observations

“There were many fire trucks near the auditorium.”

“A helicopter was flying above the city.”

“Ambulances were near Aquopolis.”

A bit of criticism

“The message should clearly say: DRILL.”

“Tourists had no idea what was going on.”

The most unusual comments

“My cat looked at me like it was my fault.”

“The bar went silent for a full minute.”

“My wife said: if there is a tsunami we are moving to Madrid.”

“My phone was the most dramatic member of the family today.”

In the end, the main character of the day was not the rescue helicopters or emergency vehicles — it was the sound of the alert on people’s phones.

And now the residents of Torrevieja at least know what a real emergency alert sounds like.

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