the Valencia region heals its wounds, one month after the floods

A month after deadly floods devastated the Valencia region of Spain, the damage caused by water and mud is still clearly visible. The work necessary to enable the rehabilitation of buildings is very important.

“A month later, it’s still wet, full of mud,” laments Pascual in front of a water-soaked wall that is falling apart in his tattoo parlor. With his partner Virginia, they had invested their life savings to launch their business in Alfafar, a suburb of Valencia, in Spain.

A few days before its opening, the salon was affected by the deadly floods which devastated the region at the end of October. A month later, the damage is still visible in the cities and the rehabilitation work promises to be titanic.

If the mud has been cleaned, everything is destroyed: “We have not yet received the aid so no one can return to work. We are ghost villages, we have to get back up,” shares Virginia.

“We have to get up again”

Same chaos for Pedro, owner of a fruit and vegetable business in Sedaví, still in the suburbs of Valencia. He thought he would be able to resume his activity quickly but the water damaged all the foundations of his store. “I don't know when I'm going to resume my activity. My normal life is gone. It's the same for everyone: the bank, the bakery, the café.”

The material damage is colossal: 22 billion euros in total, particularly for public infrastructure. “We are not doing well at all: we cannot work in the town hall, the street lights are down, the public gardens and parks are destroyed,” lists Juan José Campayo, deputy in charge of town planning at the town hall of Sedavi.

200,000 tonnes of mud evacuated

Added to this are the 120,000 vehicle wrecks still in the heart of cities or the sewers blocked by millions of tons of sludge which will have to be extracted, an operation which promises to be very complex. According to the Valencia region, nearly 200,000 tonnes of mud and waste have been evacuated by state and regional services since the end of October.

Floods on October 29 in southeastern Spain left at least 228 dead, including 221 in the Valencia region.