Widespread Anger in Valencia

Survivors of Floods Grapple With Delayed Emergency Response

Residents look at cars piled up after being swept away by floods in Valencia, Spain, Wednesday. Photo credit: Alberto Saiz

Over 200 people lost their lives in Valencia after torrential floods hit the region on 29 October. According to experts, the tragic situation was exacerbated by delayed action from authorities and a slow emergency response. Hundreds of volunteers arrived in the affected region in the days following the floods, helping to clear streets, remove cars, and search for those trapped under debris.

Days after the floods, Spain’s King Felipe visited the region and was confronted by angry crowds who threw mud from the floods at him, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and regional leader Carlos Mazón.

Activists working in Valencia say the anger is understandable, not only because of recent trauma but also due to serious omissions in the official response. As Victoria Falcó explains, this response has staggered so much that most of the actual relief came from volunteers who buy boots, brooms and shovels, and carry on clearing the streets independently from structures that should coordinate them.

Unfortunately, various government levels failed to coordinate as effectively as volunteers themselves. A major concern that emerged in the days after the floods is that Mazón’s right-wing administration cut funding for emergency response units, a decision that many view as reflecting climate change denialism. Despite Valencia’s history with floods, these critical services—such as firefighting—faced budget reductions. “If you know an area is at special risk, you must act to prevent events like this,” says Falcó. “You can’t avoid your responsibilities.”

However, reports suggest that the regional government downplayed the storm’s threat, ignoring warnings from national meteorological agencies and issuing public alerts only late Tuesday, when it was too late to prevent harm. “People were literally running in the streets,” says Falcó, “while authorities urged them to go home or onto roofs, but by then, it was too late.”

“It was a disaster, even more than we can see in the news,” she adds.

People walk through flooded streets in Valencia, Spain. Photo credit: Alberto Saiz

The residents of Valencia region have endured severe trauma, warns Victòria Falcó of Medicus Mundi Mediterrània, with impacts likely to persist for months or even years. Though the health system remains largely functional, supported also by medical volunteers, activists are concerned about long-term issues. More bodies are still covered by rubble, posing a public health risk, as do possible damages to water and sanitation infrastructure, Falcó notes.

Mental health issues are expected to linger. Many people saw friends or family swept away by the floodwaters. “One moment, they saw their neighbor on the street; the next, he was lost to the floods,” Falcó describes. As the initial shock wanes, both residents and volunteers will likely face trauma that requires sustained mental health support, something that cannot be achieved solely by repairing health infrastructure: both regional and central authorities will need to act in order to make up for what appears to be a largely failed emergency response.

Amid the disaster, working class people were affected more than others. Workers not only faced danger due to delayed warnings from authorities but also from employers who demanded they work despite the weather. Hundreds were trapped at their jobs, uncertain if they’d ever return home. Once the floodwaters receded, these workers often found they had lost their homes and belongings, which put them at severe existential risk. In response, unions have called for additional worker protections, including mortgage moratoriums and extensions of fixed-term contracts.

“Disasters linked to the climate emergency require structural public policies, not cuts to public resources or denialism,” stated the General Union of Workers (Unión General de Trabajadores, UGT) and Workers’ Commissions (Comisiones Obreras, CCOO). “Irresponsibility and neglect are always paid for by working and popular classes.”

More demands to strengthen climate-related agencies and emergency response are expected in the coming weeks. For now, however, the main priority for volunteers and organizations in the area remains delivering food, water, and other essentials to flood survivors. Once immediate needs are met, the people of Valencia and local activists will be able to pursue accountability and justice as well, says Falcó.