Floods in Spain. For this student, “it’s more shocking than what we see on TV”

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Important floods affected Spain from October 29, 2024. They particularly affected the province of Valence. There were more than 200 deaths, many missing and significant damage. Morbihannaise Elsa Olier is on site. She testifies.

An alert message on the phone

Elsa is 21 years old. The Morbihannaise has lived in Valence for four years for her physiotherapy studies.

“The morning of the floods, we received a message from our university to tell us that our classes were canceled due to bad weather. It didn't rain at all in downtown Valencia all day. There was wind, but nothing more. When the floods started, I was in the shops in the center, but I had no idea that there were floods at the same time,” she rewinds.

On the way back there was a lot of storm, but still no rain. I returned home around 8 p.m. and, around 8:12 p.m., a civil protection alarm rang on the telephones. It was necessary to avoid any type of travel, because there was heavy rain.

A friend stuck in her car

In downtown Valencia, Elsa was spared. A friend with whom she plays basketball was not so lucky. “Ten minutes after the alarm, she was already stuck in her car. She had time to turn around and return to her work,” explains the Breton woman.

Wednesday, at 7 a.m. new civil protection alarm. Here again, Elsa is spared. She discovers with dismay the desolation videos in certain areas of Valencia.

Psychologically, it's quite hard to see all this. Many of us feel guilty. Guilty of returning home, of having light, electricity, water.

According to her, the reality is “quite shocking and far from what we can see on TV (at least in Spain).”

Some roads were cleared thanks to volunteers who came with cranes and tractors. “But many still remain impassable. However, basic necessities have arrived in all affected neighborhoods and continue to arrive every day,” she said.

Panic in the stores

“On social networks, we started to see messages saying that they were going to cut off the water in certain places in the city,” explains the Breton. Many people then go to buy water.

“People were running to all the stores to get some, and some took the opportunity to charge €5 for a pack of water… At 11 a.m., the stores were completely emptynot just in the water department, but in all departments, a bit like during Covid-19,” she describes.

Lots of support

The media announce an initial death toll of 92. “In my club runningI started seeing messages from people asking for help, because they had family in the affected villages and some of them didn't have no more news from their loved ones”, she says.

The next day, she tries to give a helping hand to the victims. She donates clothes to a collection point.

On Friday morning, we left at 8 a.m. with a friend to join others who had created a support group. When we arrived on the crossing bridge, we saw the number of volunteers, it was amazing. We can see images and videos on the networks or on TV, but until we are there to see the situation, we really don't realize…

Neighborhoods without electricity

A few days later, she returned to the victims. “We spent the day helping empty the houses of strangers who had lost everything, because everything was filled with water and mud,” she remembers.

And during that day, we saw no police, firefighter, nothing, no one, only volunteers who came from Valencia on foot. A friend of mine, who was affected, lost everything. In the neighborhood where she is, she did not have electricity, water or network until Sunday, and some are still in this situation six days later.

At that moment, she learns that one of her running colleagues was found deceased while trying to get his car out of the underground garage.

A collection in Vannes

A return to “normal life” is not on the agenda. “My classes are interrupted until at least Monday, November 11. Sports facilities remain closed and many are returning to remote work, because public transport (metro, tram) no longer works. So for the moment, I continue to help,” she concludes.

Moreover, with the help of her sister present in Vannes, she plans to organize acollection of basic necessities and hygiene items. Donations from Vannes residents will be sent to Spain.

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