flood toll rises to 213 deaths, further heavy rains expected

King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are traveling this Sunday, November 3, to the southeast of Spain, where new heavy rains are expected after the incredibly violent floods which left at least 213 dead .

On Saturday, Pedro Sanchez announced the sending of 5,000 additional soldiers to help the victims and participate in the search for the missing, bringing their total strength to 7,500, i.e. the “largest deployment of armed forces ever carried out in Spain in peacetime”according to him.

Also read

To these soldiers will be added 5,000 police officers and civil guards responsible for supporting their 5,000 colleagues already on the ground, according to Pedro Sanchez, reinforcements impatiently awaited in certain localities facing a chaotic situation.

According to the latest report from the emergency services released on Saturday evening, 213 people died due to the torrential rains which fell during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in the south-east of the country.

According to the Spanish meteorological agency (Aemet), the equivalent of “from a year of precipitation” in a few hours.

Also read

This flood is linked to a phenomenon of “cold drop”an isolated high-altitude depression quite common in autumn on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, probably worsened by global warming, scientists say, a warmer atmosphere can hold more humidity and make precipitation heavier.

New alert in several regions

With 210 deaths, the Valencia region was hit hardest. Two people also died in the neighboring region of Castile-la-Mancha and one in Andalusia.

It is about “the greatest natural disaster in the recent history of our country”said Pedro Sanchez, who is accompanying King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to the affected regions this Sunday.

Their visit comes as the Spanish meteorological agency (Aemet) has issued a new orange alert for heavy rains in the Valencia region, particularly in the Valencian conurbation, where 100 liters of water per square meter (i.e. 10 cm).

A red alert has also been issued for the province of Almeria, in Andalusia (south), due to “torrential rains” likely to cause “floods”according to Aemet, which recommends that residents only travel in the event of “strict necessity”.

The toll is expected to rise further

According to the government, a Spanish Navy amphibious ship including operating theaters and carrying helicopters and vehicles is expected in the port of Valencia.

Authorities expect the toll to rise as car wrecks piled up in tunnels and underground parking lots in the worst-hit areas are now methodically examined.

Also read

If the chances of finding survivors are diminishing, the priority of soldiers and police remains according to the executive the search for the missing, with the restoration of roads and infrastructure to allow the delivery of aid and the restoration of essential services.

According to the authorities, more than 2,000 damaged cars and trucks have already been removed. Electricity has also been restored to 94% of residents who had been deprived of it, and telecommunications are gradually being restored.

In the suburbs of Valencia, search and cleaning operations continued on Saturday, in a heavy atmosphere.

“There is nothing left”told AFP Mario Silvestre, a resident of Chiva “resigned” at the sight of the damage.

In his commune, where some 17,000 inhabitants live, there are no soldiers, but numerous civil guards responsible for patrolling the streets where many houses are destroyed. “Politicians promise a lot but help only arrives when it arrives”breathes this octogenarian.

Acts of plunder

Saturday evening during a press conference, the conservative president of the Valencia region, Carlos Mazon, announced a battery of economic aid and promised the return of order, while acts of looting were reported in several stores, leading to the arrest of 82 people.

“There are people who may have felt alone, helpless, unprotected and I understand that”recognized the elected official. But “I want to send a clear message, we will help all households” which require it, he continued: “We are facing the challenge of our lives and we are going to find the solutions”.

The regional government of Valencia, and Carlos Mazon in particular, are the subject of criticism for having sent a telephone alert message to residents late on Tuesday, when the meteorological services had placed the region under “red alert” from the morning.

Criticisms rejected by Carlos Mazon, who ensures that he followed the protocol in force and highlighted on Saturday “the spirit of solidarity of the population” of his region in the face of adversity.