Flood Fury: Government Failures and Late Warnings

By Connor Foster

This past week Spain experienced a devastating flood in the region of Valencia, resulting in over 200 deaths, with search parties still looking to find victims. The severe damage this flood inflicted in the Valencia region was largely due to the late timing of public warnings. The flood waters rose quickly, leaving many with too little time to get off the roads or reach higher shelter. However, even with the rapid nature of the flood, authorities still waited an inordinate amount of time to send warnings. The civil protection did not send an official warning for residents to stay off roads until two hours after reports of missing people being swept away had already come in. In the aftermath citizens in the region have expressed outrage at the perceived neglect from the government in giving proper warning. This anger was displayed when King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited the town of Paiporta where citizens threw mud and other objects at them. The level of outrage was unexpected by both the local and national government. As climate change increases the frequency of such severe weather events, this sort of destruction is something governments around the world will need to find ways to prevent/address. People will look to national governments to provide the resources and information necessary to protect their livelihoods.