There is something deeply disturbing in the numbers of the flood that hit Valencia: 500 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, dozens of lives shattered, an entire city paralyzed. But beyond the numbers there is a story of human vulnerability in the face of the power of nature, a story that reminds us how unprepared we are to deal with extreme weather events. which are becoming more and more frequent.
The event that changed everything
A meteorological phenomenon known as self-healing storm1 hit Valencia on the night between 29 and 30 October 2024. This event, technically called DANA (High Level Islada Depression) dumped an unprecedented amount of rain on the city. The accumulations they exceeded 350 millimeters in eight hours, reaching 500 millimeters in the space of 24 hours. To understand the extent of the event, just think that this quantity exceeds the rainfall that normally falls in an entire year in the region.
The speed with which the event developed took even the authorities, making evacuation operations in the risk areas particularly difficult.
Flood in Valencia, the tragic toll
The consequences have been devastating. The current balance speaks of 158 confirmed victims and numerous missing (updated to 31/10/2024). The city's infrastructure suffered extensive damage, with streets transformed into rivers and entire neighborhoods submerged. The Spanish government declared three days of national mourning and established a crisis committee to manage the emergency. Essential services such as electricity and communications were cut off across large parts of the city. The local community mobilized immediately, with volunteers and emergency services working around the clock to bring aid to the worst-hit areas.
The disturbing link to the climate crisis
Climate experts immediately linked the event to the current climate crisis. Global warming is altering hydrological cycles, making these extreme events more frequent and intense. The Mediterranean region is experiencing a worrying increase in temperatures that leads to increased evaporation. When atmospheric conditions reverse, This translates into rainfall of exceptional intensity.
I am particularly struck by how these events are multiplying throughout Europe: from the flood in Emilia-Romagna in May 2023 to the floods in Slovenia in August of the same year, it has been a succession of events: Emilia again, then Liguria, now this tragic flood in Valencia. They are no longer exceptions, but are becoming a terrible normality.
Flood in Valencia, the response and future prospects
Cities must urgently rethink their urban planning. They need infrastructure designed to withstand extreme weather events, more efficient drainage systems and faster and more effective emergency plans. The Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez stressed that the emergency is not over yet. Relief efforts will continue in the coming days and the first assessments for reconstruction will begin. The flooding in Valencia is a dramatic reminder of the urgency of concrete actions to mitigate climate change. We can no longer allow ourselves to consider these events as isolated anomalies.