On 29 October 2024, Spain suffered one of the worst floods in its history, with 228 fatalities.
Villages in the province of Valencia woke up covered in mud and rubble. Bridges, roads and railway lines were completely destroyed and thousands of cars were swept away by the torrential waters.
In the most affected localities, rainfall of between 400 and 500 litres per square metre was recorded in a few hours, causing severe flooding, human losses and immense material and environmental damage.
The alert system that was supposed to warn citizens of the threat of the storm arrived on their mobile phones as many were already fighting for their lives and were even saying goodbye to family members.
Neighbours and volunteers muddied up to the neck on a daily basis in an attempt to clean up and mitigate the ravages caused by the storm, while rescue teams tried to locate the missing and identify the bodies of the victims, but complaints about the lack of help from official teams and the feeling of abandonment by the institutions was growing.
In the midst of this natural disaster and in this tense atmosphere, tension erupted with the visit of the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, the president of the Valencia region, Carlos Mazón, and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to Paiporta, the ground zero of the disaster. Amid boos and insults, neighbours and volunteers threw objects and mud at the political representatives and Spanish royalty.
The scale of the storm is overwhelming. In addition to the fatalities, 75,000 homes and 15,700 businesses were flooded. More than 130,000 vehicles were destroyed, which in many places contributed to the collapse of bridges and footbridges. Schools and healthcare centres were also washed away. As for the environmental disaster, the two green lungs and shields against the effects of global warming in the Mediterranean area were affected: the “Túria” Natural Park and “l’Albufera”.
In contrast to so much disgrace, the wave of solidarity of thousands of anonymous volunteers armed with buckets, shovels and brooms on their way through the mud stands out. Crucial help from the falsely christened ‘glass generation’ in an area where the shock still lingers.
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Damaged vehicles piled up in the flood-hit municipality of Alfafar in the province of Valencia eastern Spain 30 October 2024 On 29 October 2024 Valencia received a year s worth of rain causing flash floods that destroyed homes swept away vehicles and caused 228 fatalities
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A resident collects items from a supermarket in the flood-hit municipality of Paiporta in the province of Valencia Spain 31 October 2024 Some areas were completely cut off with destroyed bridges flooded roads and no electricity water or internet connection
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Residents clean their homes from the devastation caused by the flood and severe rains in the municipality of Paiporta as the mark of the level of the water is seen in the facades of the houses in the province of Valencia Spain 31 October 2024
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Mounted police try to disperse angry citizens in Paiporta in the province of Valencia eastern Spain 03 November 2024 A crowd of angry citizens tossed mud and shouted insults at Spain s King Felipe VI and government officials when they paid their first visit to Paiporta following the recent floods in Valencia and neighboring provinces
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Young people sit on mattresses next to a damaged roller shutter in the flood-hit municipality of Sedavi in the province of Valencia eastern Spain 30 October 2024
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People climb over piled up cars in the flood-hit municipality of Paiporta Valencia province Spain 01 November 2024 More than 220 people have died in Valencia and neighboring provinces after floods caused by a DANA high-altitude isolated depression weather phenomenon hit the east of the country According to Spain s national weather agency AEMET on 29 October 2024 Valencia received a year s worth of rain causing flash floods that destroyed homes and swept away vehicles
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A Civil Guard officer searches for survivors inside a car trapped under the foundations of a building under construction in the town of Paiporta Valencia eastern Spain 02 November 2024 The main cause of death was asphyxiation by water and mud Besides from houses and garages lifeless bodies have been found in streets fields and roads
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A flooded church in Paiporta Valencia province Spain 01 November 2024
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People place candles in tribute to the flood victims in the municipality of Picanya Spain 29 November 2024 one month after the floods struck the area
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Volunteers clear a street from mud in the flood-hit municipality of Paiporta Valencia province Spain 07 November 2024 The wave of solidarity of thousands of anonymous volunteers armed with buckets shovels and brooms to clean the mud was a crucial help for the neighbors of the flood-hit areas
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A man takes a rest next to a damaged car in the flood-hit municipality of Paiporta Valencia province Spain 01 November 2024
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A mud-covered crucifix hangs from a wall marked by the floodwater level in a chapel in the cemetery of Alfafar Valencia Spain