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Spain is reeling from one of the worst natural disasters in its modern history. Flash flooding in the south and east of the country, caused by a torrential downpour on October 29, has now claimed the lives of more than 200 people. Dozens more are still missing. The sight of people clinging to trees, cars strewn across streets, and inundated buildings in the region of Valencia, where much of the devastation occurred, has shocked viewers across Europe.
Spaniards have put on a show of unity, with thousands of volunteers trekking to afflicted areas to assist in the search and clean-up. They are unified, too, in their anger. Locals blame authorities for the lack of warning, preparedness and rescue support. On Sunday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had to be rushed away by security after an angry mob surrounded him, King Felipe and Queen Letizia on a visit to Paiporta, a traumatised riverside town.
The scenes of devastation and outrage hit home the rising threat of climate-fuelled weather extremes across the world. Severe flooding in Pakistan in 2022 killed over 1,500 people. More than 1,000 are estimated to have died in this year’s floods in west and central Africa. This tragedy is, however, a particular reminder to politicians in Europe that climate preparedness is a pressing issue on the continent as well, not just in hotter areas closer to the equator. Right now, in Spain, the focus should be to find missing people, provide medical care, and support the homeless. But the lessons from this disaster must quickly be learnt, too.
Scientists expect strong and rapid changes in temperature and rainfall to become a global norm if warming caused by emissions is not curbed substantially. And Europe is heating up at about twice the global rate. Experts reckon the extraordinary downpour in Spain was driven, in part, by rising temperatures in the Mediterranean — a largely enclosed sea whose warmth is a store of energy that creates conditions for intense storms. This effect, likened to a “petrol can”, could intensify as water temperatures rise. A hotter summer also baked the Spanish soil, reducing its ability to absorb water.
Although the intensity of the rainfall underpinned Spain’s high death toll, an inadequate response from authorities led to a number of casualties that could have been avoided. The meteorological agency issued a “red alert” warning for the Valencia region on the morning of the day of heavy rainfall. Many residents, though, said the notification lacked clarity and urgency, let alone instructions about what to do.
The civil protection agency, which is overseen by the regional government, sent out a text message warning to residents — but only eight hours after the first floods were reported. By that time many locals who had gone into work had become trapped, or worse, had been swept away. Emergency services were then overwhelmed by calls. A special response force for natural disasters had been scrapped by the regional government in 2023 as part of cost-cutting measures.
Years of uncontrolled construction in parts of Valencia that are prone to flooding were another factor. Densely built-up areas can help channel rainwater faster via impervious roads and pavements. It did not help that many locals were unaware of how seriously to take the initial warnings
Governments across both the developed and developing world must move quickly to improve their defences against extreme weather. That means improving early warning systems, investing in well-equipped and trained response units, and educating locals in vulnerable areas about how to react. Urban spaces also need to be better designed with the risk of natural disasters in mind.
The Spanish have paid a heavy price for the lack of preparedness. Global climate adaptation efforts must be given greater urgency, otherwise tragedies on this scale will only become more common.
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