Affecting multiple municipalities, especially in Valencia province, the Dana storm continues to complicate rescue operations today as teams work to aid residents. In a statement issued after 1 p.m., Ford sources confirmed that production of engines or vehicles at the Almussafes plant will pause again tomorrow. “We are stopping today and tomorrow because of Dana’s effects”, the representatives said, reflecting a pattern already seen on Wednesday when factory activity was null for the rest of the day.
Nevertheless, these sources emphasized that the plant itself has not suffered direct damage and that water did not enter the facilities, though access routes to the Valencia site have been affected. Carlos Faubel, president of the plant’s works council and a leader of UGT, confirmed this assessment to this newspaper.
Ahead of the ERTE
With this decision, the Dana-driven pauses will be linked to the preannounced stoppages under the temporary layoff plan, known as the ERTE. The factory calendar shows Friday as a holiday for November 1. When combined with the weekend and the following Monday and Tuesday pauses, not a single powertrain unit will exit the engine area until the next Wednesday. The disruption is expected to be more pronounced in vehicle manufacturing, and production is also halted on November 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12, as well as the 9 and 10 of November due to the weekend.
Faubel noted that the decision aligns with ongoing safety and business continuity measures, and that the company is coordinating with authorities to ensure workers’ access and safe commuting once conditions allow.
Night at the Plant
Yet, despite the production pause, Faubel told this newspaper that about 700 workers spent the night inside the Almussafes facility, with spaces arranged in several dining halls to accommodate the situation. By around 11 a.m., those employees were able to start returning to their homes. He stressed that there were no injuries or material damages as water did not enter the factory. The weather and flood conditions did, however, disrupt the plant’s entrances and exits, making it difficult for many to reach their homes by car or to use the buses that connect Ford Almussafes with nearby municipalities.