Spanish Residents Detail Terrifying Experience of Fatal Flooding

Guillermo Serrano Pérez described the onset of the flooding, stating, “When the water started to rise, it came as a wave,” and adding, “It was like a tsunami.” The 21-year-old, a resident of Paiporta, located near Valencia, is among the thousands affected by the flash floods that struck the region on Tuesday night, resulting in at least 95 fatalities. While driving on the motorway with his parents on Tuesday evening, he encountered the sudden influx of water. They managed to survive by ascending a bridge, leaving their vehicle to the intense force of the floodwater. Despite the area having endured heavy rainfall for several hours, numerous individuals, including Guillermo Serrano Pérez and his family, were taken by surprise by the intensity of the floods. Nevertheless, warnings had been issued. Spain’s meteorological agency, Aemet, had issued a warning on Tuesday morning around 07:00 (06:00 GMT), forecasting torrential rains for the Valencia region. The agency posted on X, stating, “Be very careful! The danger is extreme! Do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” prior to declaring a “maximum red alert.” Additional alerts were disseminated throughout the day, advising local authorities to deter individuals from nearing river banks. By 15:20, the regional emergencies co-ordination centre had already begun sharing photographs depicting significantly flooded streets within the La Fuente and Utiel municipalities, situated west of Valencia. Several hours subsequently, the centre reported that multiple rivers in the vicinity were rising and advised people to evacuate the banks. However, for the majority of locations, the situation had already become critical. Chiva, located approximately 20km distant, was one of the initial areas to confront the full force of the flash floods. The town’s deep ravine had reportedly been accumulating water since Tuesday afternoon, subsequent to heavy rainfall. By 18:00, the streets of the town had transformed into torrents, with the water’s power displacing vehicles, street lamps, and benches. Emergency services rapidly deployed aid throughout the region, yet the velocity at which the streets became inundated was unparalleled. The mayor of Riba-roja de Túria stated, “A very strong downpour came from above very suddenly… and the water rose a metre or a metre and a half in a few minutes.” In other parts of the region, reports started to surface concerning individuals who were missing after being carried off by floodwaters. However, the civil protection agency did not issue a warning to Valencia region residents advising against road travel until over two hours later, subsequent to 20:00. The timing of this warning has been widely scrutinized, as it was disseminated over 12 hours after the Spanish meteorological agency’s initial red alert. Critics suggest it was too late for individuals to find safety on upper levels or to exit the roads, which were congested with commuters heading home from work. Paco, who was driving from Valencia to nearby Picassent, was unexpectedly engulfed by the flash floods that submerged the roadways. He informed El Mundo newspaper that “the speed of the water was insane” as it swept away vehicles, adding, “The pressure was tremendous. I managed to get out of the car and the water pushed me against a fence that I managed to grab on to, but I couldn’t move.” He further recounted, “It wouldn’t let me. It ripped my clothes off.” Patricia Rodríguez, a resident of Sedaví, similarly encountered the flooding while commuting home from work. She reported to local media that water began to ascend as she was stationary in a traffic queue near Paiporta, causing vehicles to float. She stated, “We were afraid the river was going to burst its banks because we were right in the line of fire.” With assistance from another driver, she successfully escaped on foot, observing in terror as a young man in the vicinity carried a new-born baby to safety. She commented, “It was just as well that nobody slipped, because if we had, the current would have taken us away.” Social media content contributed to illustrating the widespread disorder that overwhelmed the region as darkness descended. A video circulated on X depicted wheelchair-bound occupants of a care home in Paiporta confined to a dining room, with brown floodwater reaching their knees. Rut Moyano, residing in Benetússer, near Valencia, documented the escalating critical circumstances in her town via X. While appealing for assistance, she reported that she was taking refuge with neighbours on the higher levels of her building when one neighbour experienced a fatal heart attack. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, she posted, “The Civil Guard has arrived on foot but they can’t access the property because there is a car stuck in the entrance,” and asked, “Can anyone tell me if someone else can help?” The following morning presented new difficulties. Daylight exposed the complete scope of the destruction, showing numerous vehicles stacked atop each other, businesses ruined, and whole towns blanketed in mud and debris. In Valencia, Juliano Sánchez was saved, exhibiting symptoms of hypothermia, after holding onto palm trees for seven hours. He recounted to El Periódico, “I didn’t want to die,” adding, “I grabbed onto some palm trees and held on with all my strength so the river wouldn’t sweep me away.” However, many others experienced a less favorable outcome. Dozens of individuals remain unaccounted for throughout the region, and survivors have articulated feelings of powerlessness amidst the catastrophic damage. One man informed Las Provincias, “We saw two cars being swept away by the current and we don’t know if there were people inside,” concluding, “We’d never seen anything like it.”