205 Dead in Spain Floods... Authorities Respond to Criticism of Delayed Action with "Are We Meteorologists?"

Residents: "Authorities' belated response worsened the damage"
Governor: "We only followed the government's established guidelines"

On the 29th of last month (local time), a sudden torrential rainstorm caused 205 deaths in southeastern Spain, raising questions about the authorities' responsibility.

Local residents criticize that the scale of the damage increased due to the authorities' delayed and incompetent initial response.

On the 1st (local time), French daily Le Figaro and BFM TV reported that at 9:41 a.m., when the disaster occurred, the Spanish Meteorological Agency raised the heavy rain warning for the Valencia region to the highest red level.

This level indicates a high likelihood of significant impact on daily activities, recommending refraining from travel as much as possible.

The meteorological agency's spokesperson only announced the red alert situation again through a video message after noon, urging residents to stay inside buildings such as homes or workplaces.

Then, around 1:14 p.m., Carlos Mason, the governor of Valencia, posted on his social media that the intensity of the heavy rain was expected to weaken somewhat around 6 p.m.

However, from around 4:30 p.m., the situation rapidly worsened, and the regional government convened a disaster safety meeting only at 5 p.m. Until then, no emergency disaster alert messages were sent to local residents.

Record-breaking heavy rain in Valencia, Spain, causing significant damage for the first time in 50 years

Afterward, until 8:30 p.m., an enormous amount of rain poured down, causing nearby rivers and streams to flood rapidly. Citizens stuck in traffic jams on their way home had no way to escape and became victims. This is why many of the deceased were found inside their cars.

The time when emergency disaster alert messages were sent to all local residents was already 8:12 p.m., when the situation was beyond recovery. In other words, it took more than 10 hours from the meteorological agency's issuance of the red alert to the authorities sending out the emergency disaster warning.

Lawyer Isabel Diaz criticized on social media, "The authorities' response was careless and irresponsible," adding, "People lost their lives due to the incompetence of those in charge."

Sandra Gomez, a Member of the European Parliament and former Valencia city councilor, also said, "My husband barely escaped from a flooded highway," criticizing that proper information was not provided during the height of the heavy rain.

Cardona Teruel, a resident of Paiporta city where more than 60 deaths occurred, expressed frustration, saying, "What use is a warning sent only after the worst situation has arrived?"

The central government in Madrid stated that the responsibility for analyzing the risk situation and deciding the emergency level lies with the local authorities.

A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) official emphasized at the UN regular briefing that "it is important that initial warnings reach those who need them and that these initial warnings lead to preemptive actions."

However, when asked whether the Spanish authorities sent disaster safety messages to residents too late, the official avoided commenting, saying, "This is an issue that the Spanish authorities need to review."