Devastating floods in Spain: 'Europe ready to help,' says EU chief | DW News

Rescue workers in Spain continue to search for bodies in the wake of flooding that killed at least 158 people in the eastern Valencia region. The coastal area of Murcia was also badly hit.

Satellite images of Valencia before and after the floods show the extent of the damage. It's the worst flooding to hit Spain in more than three decades - with a year's worth of rain falling in just a day.

Many of those affected are angry about what they say is an inadequate crisis response by authorities. Our correspondent reports from one of the worst-affected communities.

00:00 Hundreds of soldiers aid rescue efforts
00:14 The scale of destruction
00:45 Flood survivors say the warnings came far too late
02:52 DW Correspondent Jan-Philipp Scholz in Valencia, Spain
04:07 Flood alert system under scrutiny
06:39 What triggered the flash floods?
06:50 Jeff Da Costa, Climate Scientist

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[ekno]

My thoughts are with the people of Valencia and Malaga regions. It's heartbreaking to hear how many have lost their lives and/homes.

[EBruceauthor]

This storm was horrific. I never ever ever want to experience anything like this in my life ever again. The rainfall and lightning was overwhelming. Our area was saved extreme flooding unlike Valencia but heartbreaking to see and hear horror stories of our neighbours and what they’re suffering through. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[marta]

Gracias por vuestro apoyo desde todos los los lugares, espero que nuestras autoridades encuentren a las personas desaparecidas y que los fallecidos descansen en paz. Mis condolencias a todas aquellas familias de los afectados, mis parientes pudieron salvarse y me siento bendecida.

[paulsheridan]

14th October 1957 was a similarly horrific day for València. Back then it was the river Turia. València had long been the victim of flooding (Wikipedia estimates 75 floods between 1321 and 1897). The worst decisions were to build on flood plains.

[Metameinitiatedbycontact]

Even if they couldnt alert the exactt location it would have been more reasonable to warn everyone and be wrong about many regions than not warned at all

[Lud-]

Its already 231deaths, and still many in the cars and small villages are not accessibles!😢😢😢

[EBruceauthor]

They’ve said even the most seasoned meteorologists couldn’t have predicted the level of flooding and devastation. Is that true? In 2018 they said the exact same thing when 10 ppl were killed in Mallorca from the DANA which our family were also inside of and witnessed.

[vijaykvk]

2:41 riding on small horse 😢😔 he can't walk

[xedu]

The last time that this happened in Valencia was in 1957, so no one was thinking that the storm could be this magnitude

[xy]

I feel that its best to focus more on providing food, water, shelter to the victims.

[geeianna]

The regional President Carlos Muñoz should resign. 1 They (proudly) shut down the Emergency Program.
2 At 13:00 on Wednesday he said the storm would Peter out by 1800.
3. At 1400 on Wednesday all public employees were sent home.
3. The Civil Alert went off at 20:00 on Wednesday. Many were driving back from work and already floating in river roads by then.
4 The National Weather service announcement potential life threatening weather on the Wednesday 4 days before.
On every level Carlos Muñoz is at fault.

[wdp]

"EU only ready to help" instead of sending in their SAR teams already??
This is a lot talk, not much action..

[sosososososo]

피해가 너무 큰게 너무나도 안타깝지만 배수시설이 제대로 안되어 있었던거 같네요....

[martytube]

Yet we humans keep building by flood plains!

[ianashworth]

Also interesting that the corse of the River Turia was altered in 1957.

[HIMANSHU]

I see difference in reportage of western "media" in covering floods or natural climaties in west and global south countries.... humane touch is missing in the later. Anyways affected people get back to normal lives ASAP.

[Keepcalmorgetout]

God bless Spain we Moroccans stand with you and are ready to provide with help

[pauls]

This is a regular occurrence in Valencia. The same 'Cold drop' was responsible for the 1957 flood and Wikipedia states "A large number of floods have been recorded in Valencia, from 1321 to 1897. Up to 75 floods are estimated to have taken place in the seven centuries prior to the 1957 flood." So unless climate change was around in the year 1321 this was not caused by 'climate change'.

[saniajoshi]

UN needs to maintain records of the dam, and they need to audit also globally.

[TheCanuckCanadain]

Get used to this. Water levels are going up. All city's near water are at risk.