Spain bolsters troop presence in Valencia as flooding crisis deepens

Spain is dispatching an extra 500 soldiers to the Valencia region as criticism mounts against local authorities for their inadequate response to the devastating flooding that has recently struck the country.

The flooding, which has resulted in over 200 confirmed deaths — many in and around Valencia — continues to pose a threat as the death toll is anticipated to rise, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media sources.

Heavy rains that began earlier this week have caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of bridges and inundation of towns with mud, isolating communities and leaving them without access to essential resources like water, food, and electricity.

In response to the crisis, thousands of residents from Valencia city have mobilized to deliver supplies and assist with clean-up efforts in affected rural areas. However, authorities announced traffic restrictions for the weekend to ensure that emergency services can access these regions. Weather warnings remain in effect across northeastern and southern Spain, lasting through Sunday, with an additional alert issued for the Balearic Islands.

Around 1,700 soldiers are currently engaged in search and rescue operations in Valencia, though hopes of finding more survivors are dwindling. Efforts are focused on pumping water out of underground tunnels and parking structures, where it is feared that people may be trapped.

Local authorities are facing backlash over their slow response and failure to provide timely warnings ahead of the floods. Criticism has also been directed at the civil protection agency, which issued an emergency alert only after the floodwaters had already begun to rise dramatically in many areas.

In the devastated town of Paiporta, where over 60 fatalities have been reported, residents are frustrated with the slow pace of aid. Many have expressed concern that not enough firefighters and equipment have arrived to assist with the recovery efforts. Additionally, the federal government in Madrid has been criticized for not deploying the military sooner and for declining an offer from France to send firefighters for search and rescue operations.

In light of the disaster, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has pledged to provide all necessary assistance to those affected. Volunteer clean-up initiatives organized largely through social media have seen hundreds of individuals rallying to help in the hardest-hit areas.

To facilitate emergency operations, local authorities announced traffic limitations in the Valencia metropolitan area over the weekend. This measure aims to ensure unimpeded access for emergency services and to maintain the supply of essential resources.

The crisis has also sparked instances of looting, prompting numerous arrests as desperation grows among those impacted.

Regions across southern Spain, including Huelva and Cartaya, have similarly faced heavy rains, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of families in the city of Jerez. The severity of the flooding has been exacerbated by a lack of rainfall throughout the year, leaving many areas unable to effectively absorb the sudden deluge.

According to Spain’s state meteorological agency, some locations near Valencia received as much rainfall in just eight hours as they typically would in an entire year. Climate change has likely intensified these extreme weather events; preliminary analyses suggest that the rainfall was 12% heavier than it would have been without global warming, with such severe weather becoming twice as likely.

By Tamilla Hasanova