Spain’s Deadliest Floods in Decades Spark Anger as Death Toll Surpasses 210
Tensions are rising across eastern Spain as the country reels from catastrophic floods that have left at least 214 people dead and entire communities devastated. Five days after torrential rains triggered flash floods—Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory—public outrage is mounting over the government’s response.
Most of the casualties were reported in Valencia province, with additional deaths in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. Officials fear more bodies may yet be found in underground garages where people were trapped by rapidly rising waters.
In Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit towns, angry residents hurled mud and insults at King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during their visit on Sunday. Sánchez had to be escorted away by security forces amid heated protests over what locals see as a delayed and inadequate emergency response.
The prime minister has promised to bolster recovery efforts, announcing the deployment of 10,000 additional soldiers and police officers to support rescue missions, clear debris, and restore essential services. The reinforcements will join over 6,000 emergency responders already operating in the disaster zone, including troops from Spain’s military emergency unit and thousands of civil guards.
Valencia’s regional president, Carlos Mazón, is under fire for having dismantled a regional emergency unit last year, a decision critics say left the province vulnerable.
“This is the worst flooding disaster in Europe since 1967,” Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego reported from Valencia. “The mud is everywhere, and the community is grappling with the threat of disease and the sheer scale of the devastation.”
What Caused the Disaster?
Meteorologists attributed the deadly flooding to an intense “cut-off low” pressure system—known in Spain as DANA—that stalled over eastern Spain, dumping unprecedented rainfall. In Chiva, more rain fell in just eight hours than during the previous 20 months.
The Mediterranean Sea’s record-high temperatures, a result of prolonged summer heatwaves, likely fueled the storm, increasing atmospheric moisture and rainfall intensity. Scientists point to climate change as a contributing factor to more frequent and extreme weather patterns, including droughts followed by flash floods.
Historical Comparisons
While autumn storms are common in Spain’s Mediterranean regions, experts say this event exceeded all recent historical disasters in scale and intensity. Locals compared it to the 1957 floods, which killed at least 81 people. This week’s floods were reportedly three times as destructive.
The flood has also eclipsed the deadly 1996 Biescas camping disaster, which claimed 87 lives. Experts now warn that Spain must urgently adapt its infrastructure and climate response strategies to mitigate the growing risks of extreme weather.
As recovery operations continue, there are growing calls for accountability, improved emergency preparedness, and a more robust climate resilience strategy across Spain.
