Barcelona · 71.641 inhabitants · 10.764 buildings analysed one by one

Vilanova i la GeltrúClimate risk in its neighbourhoods, streets and rivers, today and in 2050

We have scored the climate risk of the 10.764 buildings in Vilanova i la Geltrú using Cadastre data, satellite imagery and climate projections, and added it up by area, neighbourhood, street and watercourse. The clearest change comes at night: from 47 to 89 tropical nights a year by 2050.

47→89tropical nights a year in a typical building, today and by 2050
12%of homes at high or very high flood risk by 2050
10.981homes in the official flood zone (500 years)
At a glance

Where the risk lies by 2050

LowMediumHighVery highRivers and streams

Level of the highest hazard in each 250 m area by 2050: flooding, heat, wildfire, wind or ground movement.

Tropical nights a year in a typical building

Vilanova i la Geltrú compared with Spain

  • Tropical nights a year, 2050: 97 nights
    higher than 95 % of municipalities
  • Average summer maximum, 2050: 29,9 °C
    lower than 75 % of municipalities
  • Flood-prone area (100-year): 0,0%
    lower than 80 % of municipalities
  • Area burnt 2016-2026: 0,0%
    lower than 64 % of municipalities
  • Water stress 2050 (0-5): 5,0
    higher than 82 % of municipalities

Position among the 8.217 municipalities: further right means more risk. These are figures for the municipality as a whole, the same for everyone; they may differ from those for the typical building. Compare with others →

What stands out

What we found in Vilanova i la Geltrú

It comes from matching each building with its neighbourhood, its street, the nearest watercourse and its surroundings.

1

10.981 homes in a flood zone

10.981 homes

They are in the area that can flood once every 500 years according to the official maps (SNCZI); 3.127 of them are in the 100-year area. Next to Torrent de la Pastera, 2.514 homes are inside the flood zone, less than 100 m from the watercourse.

According to the Ministry’s studies, this is an annual probability of 0,2 % (500 years) or 1 % (100 years), not “once every 500 years”: it can happen two years in a row. Small gullies are not always mapped.

2

From 47 to 89 tropical nights a year

47→89 nights

In a typical building in Vilanova i la Geltrú, nights when the temperature stays at or above 20 °C would rise from 47 a year (1991-2020) to about 89 by 2050. For this reason, 100 % of homes would be at a high or very high level.

Median of the buildings. Intermediate-to-high emissions scenario (SSP3-7.0).

3

1.004 homes at very high wildfire risk

1.645 buildings

These are 1.645 buildings right next to vegetation that can burn. Of these, 5 are blocks of flats with 220 homes, where evacuation is harder.

  • Carrer del Montseny: 105
  • Carrer Alexandre de Cabanyes: 90
  • Passeig de Salvador Espriu: 25

Proximity to woodland and to burnt areas (ESA WorldCover, EFFIS). It does not measure the state of the vegetation or any firebreaks.

4

23 schools, care homes or health centres in a flood zone

23 facilities

They are in the official 500-year flood zone or in a preferential flow zone. They are the first to review in an emergency plan: who is inside, how to get out and whether they use the ground floor.

  • Hospital: Hospital Comarcal de Sant Antoni Abat
  • Health centre: Centre Mèdic Fedear SL
  • Health centre: Centre de Rehabilitació Sant Antoni Abat
  • Health centre: Centre de Salut Mental Infantil i Juvenil

OpenStreetMap location matched to the nearest Cadastre building.

5

561 homes less than 2 m above sea level

561 homes

That is 2 % of homes. The extreme sea level in a 100-year storm reaches 0,98 m today and 1,27 m by 2050.

Ground elevation at the building (IGN digital terrain model). Being low-lying does not mean it will flood: that depends on the beach, sea defences and drainage.

Six hazards

How many homes are at high risk, today and in 2050

The 33.621 homes in Vilanova i la Geltrú by the level of their building. Tap a hazard to see it on the map.

LowMediumHighVery high
What can be done

For the town council and for residents

For the town council and its technical staff

  • Climate shelters, and late-afternoon and evening opening hours at libraries and community centres in the areas with the most tropical nights.
  • Shade and trees in the playgrounds of the 4 schools with the hottest surroundings.
  • Review with the river basin authority the watercourses with no official mapping that run next to homes, and keep them clear.
  • Firebreaks and evacuation routes in the streets that border woodland.
  • Emergency self-protection plans in the schools, care homes and health centres that are in a flood zone.

For residents

  • Air your home in the early hours, shade west-facing walls from the sun and ask about grants to insulate the roof.
  • If you live on a ground floor or have a garage next to a watercourse, have a plan: where to go upstairs, what to switch off and how to hear about warnings.
  • Keep the strip around your house clear of dry vegetation and know both ways out of your street.
  • Look up your building: the free report gives its level for each hazard, and the Climate Note gives the full detail.

Look up your building