Flood Victims in Spain: By Friday, November 1st, the death toll from the floods in Spain had reached 205, with most fatalities in Valencia. In the municipality of Paiporta alone, over 60 people lost their lives. Alerts from civil protection agencies reached residents as many were returning home from work, meaning they were on the roads or in cars when streets turned into raging rivers.
Valencia Authorities on the Floods: Mayor Maribel Albalat emphasized that Paiporta is not equipped for such flooding. "We don't have a tendency for floods, so people aren't afraid of them," she told the BBC. She pointed out that during rainfall, residents typically go to garages to move their cars out in case of potential flooding.
On Thursday, the Spanish Guardia Civil even published guidelines on social media advising people on how to escape a car in a flood. Those affected by the floods were advised to attempt escape through their car windows and windshields.
Climate Change and Floods in Spain: Scientists from the World Weather Attribution indicated that rainfall in Spain has been 12 percent heavier due to climate change. In the flood-affected areas, there had been little rain for a significant part of the year, which left the soil in many parts of eastern and southern Spain unable to absorb heavy rainfall effectively.
The floods in southern and eastern Spain were sudden – not only did a massive amount of water fall, but it happened in an extremely short period. In one town near Valencia, 491 mm of rain (almost 500 liters per square meter) was recorded – a quantity that, in some areas, might represent an entire year’s rainfall. Furthermore, over 340 liters fell in just 4 hours in certain places! By comparison, the heavy rain that caused flooding in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria in September brought about 300-400 liters per square meter over three days.
Article by Katarzyna Romik, journalist at Gazeta.pl.
