The extensive flooding, which has so far killed 205 people, has sparked a wave of solidarity across the country with hundreds of people arriving to the affected areas to help remove the mud.
Volunteers in Spain have begun to leave the worst flood-hit areas of Valencia after taking part in clean-up operations after what’s been called the worst natural disaster in decades.
The extensive flooding, which has so far killed 205 people, has sparked a wave of solidarity across the country with hundreds of people arriving to the affected areas on foot, carrying water, essential products, shovels and brooms to help remove the mud.
The number of people coming to help has been so high that authorities have asked them not to drive or walk, because they are blocking the roads needed by the emergency services.
Parts of Spain were bracing for more heavy rain at the weekend as hundreds of soldiers were deployed to assist in rescue efforts.
Torrential rain and hailstorms on Tuesday caused flooding across multiple regions including the hardest-hit eastern province of Valencia, turning streets into rivers that ripped into the ground floors of homes and washed away cars and people.
The damage in many communities resembled the aftermath of a major hurricane or tsunami.
202 deaths had been confirmed in the Valencia region alone. Another two people were found dead in neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha and one in southern Andalusia.
An unknown number of people are still missing and the death toll is likely to rise as some flood-affected areas are still inaccessible, authorities have said.
At least 1,700 soldiers have been deployed to help regional and local emergency workers in the search for bodies and survivors and to provide aid, Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles told state broadcaster TVE.
More troops are set to join the rescue and aid effort tomorrow as “there is still a great deal to be done”, she said.
As police and emergency workers continue the search for bodies, authorities appear overwhelmed by the enormity of the disaster and survivors are relying on the goodwill of volunteers who have rushed in to fill the void.
That has led to anger among many people in the affected areas who say they haven’t been given enough support by local authorities or emergency services.
The huge death toll — easily making the floods the deadliest natural disaster in Spain in living memory — has raised questions about how this could happen in a European Union country that excels in public safety.
Some opposition lawmakers have criticised the central government for a delay in warning people about the floods and deploying rescue teams. Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement that regional authorities were responsible for civil protection measures.
In interviews with Spanish broadcasters and posts on social media this week, residents of the Valencia region have questioned a lack of preparedness by the local authorities.
ADVERTISEMENTThe regional government has been criticised for not sending out flood warnings to people’s mobile phones until 8 pm local time on Tuesday, by which time several towns and villages had already been flooded for hours.
National weather service AEMET issued amber rainfall warnings on Friday for areas in the Valencia and Castellón regions, where many communities are still reeling from the floods.
While the rain is not forecast to be as heavy as Tuesday’s downpours, it could pose a fresh flooding risk as the ground is already saturated, meteorologists warned.
