In the wake of Spain’s worst flooding in decades, another 2,500 soldiers arrived in eastern Spain on Monday to aid in search and recovery operations. This addition brings the total military deployment to around 7,500 troops as rescue teams continue efforts to locate missing persons, clear debris, and restore essential services across the hardest-hit regions, particularly in Valencia.
The disaster, which has claimed at least 217 lives with many still missing, has sparked a wave of public outrage, particularly in Valencia and the suburb of Paiporta, where over 60 fatalities have been reported. This widespread anger has been directed at both national and regional leaders, with citizens voicing frustrations over what they describe as a slow and ineffective response. Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed the latest military reinforcement, stating that soldiers have been crucial in distributing food, ensuring public safety, and cleaning up flooded areas.
The arrival of aid has been accompanied by severe weather conditions, including a hailstorm that struck Barcelona, 300 km north of Valencia, compounding the difficulties in coordinating relief efforts. Amid the disaster, the Spanish government is preparing to formally declare the most severely affected regions—Valencia, Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, and Catalonia—as “severely affected areas” in Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, which would qualify these areas for emergency funding, as announced by Felix Bolanos, a minister from the Socialist Party.
In addition, the regional leader of Valencia, Carlos Mazon, announced a financial aid package to directly support households and towns, pledging €6,000 per household and €200,000 per town to address immediate needs. The Valencia government will also request an initial aid package from Spain’s central government, amounting to €31.4 billion, to rebuild critical infrastructure.
While officials work to provide aid, a delayed response and confusion over flood risk alerts have fueled criticism. The Hydrographic Confederation of Jucar (CHJ), responsible for monitoring river flows, was accused by opposition politicians of canceling flood alerts multiple times; however, Madrid clarified that CHJ is not tasked with issuing flood warnings, which fall under regional authority.
Local resentment came to a head on Sunday, with protesters in Paiporta venting their frustration at visiting officials, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe. Protesters reportedly threw mud and accused authorities of exploiting the disaster for media exposure. One resident, Belen, expressed frustration at the government’s delayed action: "That's what hurts us, that they only come here for a photo. They’re all the same dog with different collars."
As efforts continue, search and rescue teams have been using drones to inspect damaged buildings and underground garages for signs of life. The response has been challenging due to extensive flood damage, which has impacted local transport systems, including train cancellations and flight diversions at Barcelona’s El Prat airport.
The mounting anger over the tragedy has led to protests, with calls for Mazon to resign and growing anti-government sentiment in cities like Madrid, where protests outside the Socialist Party headquarters have drawn hundreds of demonstrators.