On October 29 and 30, several Spanish regions, notably Valencia, Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia, were affected by torrential rains causing violent flooding. As of November 5, these had caused the death of 219 people, as well as the disappearance of 89 other individuals, a toll that is still provisional. This disaster caused very heavy material damage throughout the region, including the destruction of numerous homes and infrastructure. In the Valencia region, it is mainly the villages in the suburbs of Valencia which have been affected and ravaged by the floods.
According to a first study by World Weather Attribution, global warming is one of the main causes of these torrential rains associated with the DANA (Isolated High Level Depression) phenomenon. This phenomenon is a destructive and frequent weather system in the Mediterranean basin, in which cold and warm air meet and produce powerful rain clouds. Nevertheless, this episode of flooding constitutes, according to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, “ the most serious what [l’Europe] has known since the beginning of the century (tdlr) “. According to the analysis, the rains that hit Spain were 12% heavier than if the climate had not warmed. Many specialists have also pointed the finger at the “uncontrolled urbanization” of the region, which has increased the impermeability of the soil, causing an increase in the risks of flooding and drought.
“Only at 8 p.m., the emergency alert that we receive on cell phones went off. But at this point, everything had already happened: by 6 p.m., people were drowning in all these villages.”
Vanessa Verde, teacher
Following the floods, residents of the disaster areas mobilized to begin reorganizing cities, finding missing people, and helping those most in need. The Spanish government also mobilized the army and released emergency funds to help the victims; however, many found this response too slow and inadequate, and expressed their dissatisfaction. To better understand the situation, The Crime spoke with Vanessa Verde, a teacher living in Valencia who, with her family, mobilized to help the victims.
Growing anger
More than 10 days after the floods, the anger of residents of the affected communities has not diminished. On November 9, hundreds of thousands of people marched in Valencia to protest against the failing management of the country’s institutions. In the streets of the city, the demonstrators’ signs illustrate the anger of the survivors: “ We are covered in mud, you have blood on your hands. » In unison, they demand the resignation of the president of the autonomous region, Carlos Mazón. He waited several hours before alerting the community. Vanessa indeed states that on the evening of October 29, “ only at 8 p.m., the emergency alert that we receive on cell phones went off. But at this point, everything had already happened: by 6 p.m., people were to drown in all these villages “. The Spanish meteorological agency Aemet, for its part, had communicated the risks of flooding several days earlier, and sounded the red alert on the morning of Tuesday, October 29.
According to Vanessa, the revolt is felt within the Spanish community at regional and national level: “ We are angry at everyone. » Indeed, many also criticize the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for having been passive. In fact, he was awaiting the request from the president of the autonomous region to send additional military aid. Nevertheless, ” according to Spanish law, when more than one community is in danger, the government [central, ndlr] must take orders. And in this case, there were three communities particularly affected: Valencia, Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia “. Public opinion regarding the King, for its part, is divided. While some admire his arrival in the affected villages and his support for residents in the days following the disaster, others expressed their anger by welcoming him with mud throws during his visit to Paiporta, the epicenter of the floods.
Outpouring of solidarity
The floods marked a significant outpouring of solidarity among the population and throughout Spain. In the Valencia region, impressive crowds of volunteers have visited villages in the hope of helping residents rebuild their communities. Vanessa and her family went to a village near Valencia, Picaña, to help the victims. “ It was like a war zone “, she explains. With emotion, she praises the efforts of everyone, but particularly those of young people: “ All these people started crossing the bridges, and it was moving, all these young people who were helping: they now call them the “crystal generation”. It was impressive. » His daughter Bianca, an orthodontics student, also went to several villages to help people unable to travel in need of medical services. “ There were people who, for example, had stitches because they had dental surgery, so [Bianca, ndlr] went to collect them from their home. »
During the clean-up of municipalities, citizens continue to criticize local and national governments for having been woefully absent in helping survivors and managing property damage. In the days following October 29, the late arrival of relief and insufficient resources to rebuild the towns left residents beside themselves: “ We didn’t see any firefighters, no soldiers, nothing; just volunteers. Just citizens, like me, like my daughter, like all of my daughter’s friends, who went to help. » According to Vanessa, the people feel abandoned by their government. “ This is where the expression: “The people save the people” was born: the only ones who can save you are your neighbors. »
And now ?
Education is also directly affected by events. Many schools, colleges and high schools were completely destroyed by the passage of water, leaving children, parents and teachers distraught. Some communities are trying to find solutions for students to benefit from an education in one way or another: “ There are places where sports centers were saved because they were in a higher area “, allowing teachers to temporarily transform them into classrooms, explains Vanessa. But this initiative will probably not be enough to rehouse all of the many affected students.
Following the floods, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced emergency aid of more than 10 billion euros to support victims and businesses in the region. The primary aim of this aid is to enable the rehabilitation of major affected infrastructure, as well as the restoration of housing. Although the Prime Minister did not appeal for help from other European Union countries during the floods (including proposals to send firefighters and assistance teams), he announced that he had made contact with the European Commission to request financial assistance from the European Solidarity Fund. Vanessa nevertheless suspects that the aid is not as rapid as the government claims: “ They said there would be no bureaucracy, let’s hope that is the case, but I doubt it. » Over the coming weeks, eyes will therefore be focused on the actions of the government, and its ability to implement its promises to the Spanish.
