Spain is facing criticism for the late response of disaster relief organizations as it struggles with the effects of the flood disaster that occurred on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. Heavy rainfall and hailstorms across the country caused rapid flooding in many regions, resulting in the deaths of at least 217 people. However, the civil defense agency, responsible for responding to natural disasters, only issued a warning at 20:15 local time on Tuesday after the floods that caused great destruction.
The news on the El Mundo newspaper's website stated, "The magnitude of the disaster raises questions about why the public was warned late: Civil Defense sent out a warning while towns were under water." According to the newspaper, "Hundreds of people were stranded on industrial areas and roads from Tuesday to Wednesday due to road closures and access restrictions."
On social media, there has been increasing criticism of why local governments and politicians have not prepared better.
Cost-cutting efforts are another potential problem. Valencian regional president Carlos Mazón has been forced to defend his decision to abolish the Valencia Emergency Unit (UVE) because it was ineffective. The previous left-wing government set up UVE to respond to weather-related emergencies such as floods or forest fires. Mazón quickly disbanded the institution when he took office last year after the Popular Party (PP) described UVE as a “shady organisation”.
However, some criticised the Valencian leader for telling the media on Tuesday that the heavy rainfall was expected to “decrease in intensity” around 6 pm local time. The impact was quite the opposite, with devastating consequences across much of the region. The mayor of L’Alcúdia, Andreu Salom, said he felt “abandonment and absolute helplessness”, adding: “As mayor, no one told me about the danger of the Magre River overflowing. The town is filled with water, mud, and debris.”
Mazón said emergency crews had been on alert since Monday and that the extraordinary weather event had made it difficult to determine exactly what warnings should be given to the people of Valencia. He said experts had assessed the situation as “unprecedented” and stressed the “sudden nature” of the meteorological event.
Meanwhile, activists called for faster and more decisive action to combat the climate change that is behind the floods. “The climate emergency is not an abstract concept, it is a reality that affects our lives and, in this case, causes loss of life,” said Eva Saldaña, Executive Director of Greenpeace Spain.
https://bbc.com/news/articles/cwyx75ppr79o
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