12 days ago, a year's worth of rain fell in Valencia, Spain. the heavy downpours, which in some areas measured around 490 liters per square meter, devastated local towns, killing over 200 people, many of whom suffocated after being trapped in the thick mud that came from the flooding. Images of piled-up cars and broken buildings are pouring in from various sources.
Protesters have taken to the streets, criticizing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the regional president of Valencia, Carlos Màzon. They believe officials have taken too long to respond, calling for Sanchez's resignation. Right-wing new sources claim "If Spaniards today weren’t so lily-livered, we’d be hanging them and quartering them and putting their remains on display in the public square so they could be bait for flies and carrion feeders, as should be the fate of tyrants." They berate the entire government for wantonly dealing with the floods. Some news outlets also note a string of deleted tweets about Valencia's weather forecast coming from Sanchez himself.
While responses are extreme, they are not without reason. Warnings were too late and did not emphasize the nature of the emergency enough and response to the floods was too little and too late. The real response force was the civilian volunteers who began searching for missing people immediately after the flooding ceased. "Strangers aid the needy by diving into the muck and, with each scoop and toss, inch towards a distant renewal."
Three days ago, the king of Spain, Sanchez, and Màzon visited areas affected by floods and were met with angry protestors who threw mud and hurled insults at them. Outside of Valencia, hundreds of thousands of protestors in the streets chant "We are stained with mud, and you are stained with blood" as well as "Murderer" at PM Sanchez.
While many different opinions and a lot of false news is being circulated about the floods, there is one very clear thing: the people in Valencia are suffering, and should not have to deal with lazy politicians as they wait for aid. While leaders failed initially to send in help, it is now up to them to make sure the damage is resolved quickly.
Sources:
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/11/10/the-devastation-brought-by-spains-floods-of-the-century
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