In a matter of minutes, flash floods caused by heavy downpours in eastern Spain swept away almost everything in their path. With no time to react, people were trapped in vehicles, homes and businesses. Many died and thousands of livelihoods were shattered. The incident occurred in the Valencian region and later went further to Barcelona.
Spanish King Felipe IV went to Valencia 4 days after the wake of deadly floods and was met with angry crowds during his visit to Paiporta, one of Valencian regions. The crowd has been shouting “murderer” at the King and has been throwing mud at him. They were asking just one question: why was nothing done to avoid the tragedy and the King appeared only 4 days after?
The slow response of the Spanish crown reminds the times of Elizabeth II and her “unwillingness” to go to Aberfan after the disaster.
Aberfan catastrophe was the collapse of a colliery spoil tip on 21 October 1966. Nearly 140,000 cubic yards of black slurry cascaded down the hill above Aberfan. It destroyed everything it touched, eventually killing 144 people, most of them children sitting in their school classrooms. Despite the magnitude of the calamity, Queen Elizabeth II at first refused to visit the village, sparking criticism in the press and questions about why she wouldn’t go. Finally, after sending her husband, Prince Philip, in her place for a formal visit, she came to Aberfan eight days after the disaster to survey the damage and speak with survivors. In the case of the Spanish crown, it was a bit less, 4 days, but still, it is unacceptable for the representatives of the government not even to visit the place of the catastrophe on time and try to calm the people.
The answer of the Spanish government was 10,000 troops sent by Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, including police officers and civil guards to the region, but it was definitely not enough to deal with the consequences of the catastrophe.
According to the official information more than 200 people died during the floods, however, unofficially there may be thousands of dead as search operations are still being carried out. Rescue efforts are continued with teams searching underground car parks, private houses and blocks of flats.
Meanwhile, on Monday Barcelona has been alerted to torrential weather, over 80 flights in the El Prat airport have been cancelled or delayed. The situation is similar to Valencia, however, this time citizens of the Catalunya region were more prepared, and rescue missions were started on time. The storm caught many victims in their vehicles on roads and in underground spaces, such as car parks, tunnels and garages, where rescue operations are particularly difficult. The chief of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit told on Monday news conference that around 500 troops were pre-deployed to Valencia and will be working as soon as they were authorized to. General Francisco Javier Marcos said that an additional 1,000 soldiers were sent to Valencia region as the situation started to get worse. Later he added:
“You might say we didn’t intervene rapidly. The weather prevented that partially, and secondly, it was a matter of order and discipline. You might say that doesn’t justify being slow- well look, you can’t bring more chaos to an already very chaotic situation.”
Some experts are blaming Spanish government for not only putting no alert several days before the floods started but of removing more than 100 dams from the rivers across the country. In 2021, Spain blew up 108 dams, more than half of the 239 that were demolished across Europe that year, according to figures from the Dam Removal project, coordinated by the World Fish Migration Foundation.
On one hand, dams are blocking fish migration routes, devastating breeding areas and river ecosystems. However, on the other hand, they reduce flood risks by modifying the river downstream. Because dams trap sediment, they release relatively clear water that cuts deeper into the river’s bed. This incision creates a roomier channel that can carry more water and prevent floodwaters from spilling over riverbanks.
However, in the case of Valencia, the larger dams weren’t removed and are still helping to manage water resources and reduce flood risk. Climate change has contributed to more frequent and severe weather events, including intense downpours in Valencia. The Mediterranean region in general is particularly vulnerable to climate-driven shifts in precipitation, making extreme rains more likely, regardless of dam presence.
Valencia, in addition, experiences a Mediterranean climate, characterized by dry summers and wetter autumns. In autumn, the phenomenon known as “gota frĂa” (or DANA, DepresiĂłn Aislada en Niveles Altos) occurs when cold air from high altitudes meets warmer, humid air from the Mediterranean Sea, causing intense rainfall and storms. These conditions often lead to flash floods, as large volumes of water are released over a short period of time.
Consequently, the biggest problem of the Spanish government was the lack of warning that could save hundreds of lives in the past and prevent the embarrassment of the representatives of the crown as well as the Prime Minister.
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