Spain floods: Extra troops sent to search flood debris as anger grows

At least 205 people have been killed in flash floods in Valencia, with many missing amid the destruction

More than 48cm of rain fell on high ground in eight hours, causing flash floods in urban centres such as Valencia. AP

Spain sent more troops on Friday to search for survivors among abandoned cars, sodden buildings and layers of mud left by the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country in living memory.

At least 205 people were killed in flash floods that tore through Valencia overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday, leaving cars piled on top of each other, uprooting trees, taking down power lines and destroying homes in dozens of communities.

Rescuers using drones and sniffer dogs waded through water and searched debris on Friday in an increasingly desperate search for the "dozens" of people the authorities believe are still missing.

The government has sent 500 more troops to stricken areas to bolster the 1,200 already helping search, rescue and logistics operations. "There is still a pile of cars in the industrial estate, mountains and mountains of cars," Amparo Fort, Mayor of the town of Chiva, told public radio RNE. "Many must be empty, but we are sure others are occupied."

About 150,000 people in Valencia were without electricity on Wednesday, but power had been restored for about half by Thursday. Some people did not have running water and were relying on bottled water.

Many survivors walked long distances in thick mud to find food and water. Most of their cars were destroyed and the debris left by the storm made some roads impassable. Some pushed shopping trolleys along sodden streets, while others carried their children. Supplies were looted in some areas.

On Thursday, Angel Victor Torres, Spain's Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, vowed there would be an uncompromising response to "looting" and the "insults" directed at the security forces. He announced 39 arrests, in a sign civil order was breaking down in some places.

In the town of Aldaia, in the Valencia region, resident Fernando Lozano said thieves stole trousers from an abandoned supermarket as "people are a bit desperate". "Until this is normalised and the supermarket opens, it's going to be very bad here," he added.

As the shock from the floods dissipated, anger grew over how the authorities handled of the crisis. Officials have been accused of issuing warnings too late and failing to deliver adequate relief.

Dozens killed in flash floods in Spain - in pictures

The storm as a particularly intense example of a “dana”, a common phenomenon in the area at this time of year. Danas develop when cold autumn air moving south meets warm, moist air, typically flowing from the Mediterranean, creating high-altitude storm clouds.

These can dump large amounts of rain in a short space of time. More than 48cm of rain fell on high ground in Spain in eight hours, inundating downhill areas and causing flash floods in urban centres.

The flooding was probably due to the hot, dry weather in the region this year, which left soil hard-baked, reducing how much water could soak into the ground. A building boom in recent decades may also have reduced stormwater drainage, experts added.

Questions have been raised about why civil authorities waited so long to tell people to seek shelter, and why infrastructure including roads, bridges and train lines were unable to withstand the downpour. While weather services notified the public on Monday that a major storms was likely to hit Valencia, the main emergency alert was not issued until Tuesday evening, when the storm was already in full force.

“Ultimately, all you can do when you’re getting that amount of rain is alert people in good time, give warnings and make sure that people are aware of how they can keep themselves safe,” said Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading. “It sounds like that was not done adequately.”

Politicians have already begun to cast blame over the disaster. On Thursday, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the opposition People’s Party, which governs Valencia, said regional authorities acted based on information it received from the national weather agency and the department that oversees rivers. Both rely on the central government.

Climate change has made extreme rain more common by increasing air temperatures, which allows storms to hold more water – a 7 per cent increase for every 1°C that temperatures rise.

Rapid analysis by the World Weather Attribution initiative found the recent extreme rainfall in Spain was about 12 per cent heavier than pre-industrial levels. One-day bursts of rain in the region are increasing as the planet warms, the group said.

Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at Newcastle University, warned about the limitations of adapting to such storms, which “appear to be becoming more frequent in Europe and are projected to increase further with additional warming".

“The question is not whether we need to adapt for more of these types of storms, but can we?” she said

Adapting to increased rainfall will be essential to lower the risk of future disasters. “Reducing the volume and speed of run-off can be done by replanting upland areas and improving soil health, as well as increasing the capacity of urban areas to absorb, hold or disperse water,” said Kevin Collins, a senior lecturer in environment and systems at the Open University in the UK.

He suggested strengthening dams and bridges, which have proven to be vulnerable, too. But cities can only do so much to mitigate against climate disasters, particularly those cities that are not designed to face the level of rainfall recorded this week in Spain.

“It wouldn’t matter whether it was Spain or anywhere else, if there was that much rainfall falling on impermeable ground, you are going to get flooding,” Mr Neumann said. “In the long term, this isn’t something that’s going to go away."