'Angry and Abandoned’ Valencians Attack Royals after Devastating Flash Floods

Nov 4, 2024 | “The pure amount of destruction and chaos that we saw around was just absolutely shocking.”

Valencians feel “angry and abandoned” by the response to devastating flash floods, say Shauna and Jamie, volunteers helping with the clear up. Spanish politician Txeme Guijarro agrees people need the state to act.


THE NEW YORK TIMES en Español:

Tras las inundaciones en España, una multitud de voluntarios y de rabia: El domingo por la mañana, durante la visita del rey Felipe VI y el presidente Pedro Sánchez a Paiporta, epicentro de la tragedia, manifestantes enfurecidos gritaron y arrojaron lodo. »

Angry Flood Survivors Confront Spain’s King and Queen in Flood-stricken Town in Valencia | DW News

Nov 3, 2024 | King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, as well as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, have cut short a visit to the flood-wracked province of Valencia. Anger over the slow state response to last week's disaster hit a climax today. Enraged by late warnings and delayed assistance in Spain's worst flash flooding in decades, furious crowds hurled mud and insults at the royals. The death toll from the natural disaster is at least 214.

A message from King Charles III to King Felipe VI of Spain regarding the ongoing floods in Valencia. »

Related material here.

THE NEW YORK TIMES en Español:

Una sombría búsqueda de cadáveres en Valencia, ciudad devastada por las inundaciones: Las inundaciones en España han dejado al menos a 205 personas muertas, casi todas en la provincia de Valencia. Más de 60 de las víctimas murieron en Paiporta, un pueblo de clase trabajadora en las afueras del sur de la ciudad. »

LE FIGARO :

Inondations : nouvelle «alerte rouge» en Espagne, les habitants de Valence appelés à rentrer chez eux : De nouvelles précipitations sont attendues dans la soirée, après les tragiques inondations qui ont déjà fait 217 morts selon le dernier bilan. L'Agence nationale de Météorologie a déclenché son «alerte rouge» et appelle les habitants à rentrer chez eux. »

Angry Crowds Confront Spanish King in Flood-hit Valencia | BBC News

Nov 3, 2024 | King Felipe VI of Spain has faced angry protesters while visiting the Valencia region, which has been hit by unprecedented floods.

Footage shows an angry crowd shouting "murderer" and "shame" at the king, who was also asked why nothing had been done to avoid the tragedy.

Spain's worst floods in decades have left whole neighbourhoods covered in mud and strewn with mangled cars and debris. More than 200 people were killed in the floods, with many more missing.

Emergency workers are continuing to comb through underground car parks and tunnels in the hope of finding survivors and recovering bodies.


LE FIGARO :

«Assassins !» : face à la colère de la foule, la visite du roi et de la reine sur le lieu des inondations suspendue : Des habitants de cette commune proche de Valence ont jeté de la boue aux visages des deux souverains. Selon le dernier bilan, 213 personnes ont péri à cause des inondations provoquées par des pluies torrentielles. Les autorités s'attendent à ce que le bilan s'alourdisse. »

Spain Floods Death Toll Soars to At Least 158 | BBC News

Oct 31, 2024 | At least 158 people are now known to have died after flash floods hit parts of Spain, particularly devastating communities in Valencia.

Almost all the deaths - 155 - have been recorded in the region, with two more in Castilla-La Mancha and another, a British man, in Andalusia.

Emergency teams are continuing to search for those missing and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to Valencia to assist with the operation.



NYT:

A Catastrophic Deluge Leaves Parts of Spain in Ruins: In photos and video »

En español:

Un diluvio catastrófico deja partes de España en ruinas: En fotos y video »

Related material here.

British Man among At Least 95 Dead in ‘Apocalyptic’ Spanish Flash Flooding

THE TELEGRAPH: At least 95 people are dead and dozens more missing after the deadliest flash floods for decades wreaked havoc across eastern and southern Spain.

Rescuers, some using dinghies, fought on Wednesday to save people trapped by the floods, which engulfed cars, closed roads, cancelled trains and killed dozens, including a 71-year-old British man.

The eastern region of Valencia was hardest hit in Spain’s worst “cold drop” – the torrential rain triggered when autumnal cold air from the north moves over the Mediterranean’s warm waters – for a century.

“All of Spain weeps with all of you... We won’t abandon you,” said Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister, while urging people to remain vigilant because the danger persisted.

A “devastated” King Felipe VI thanked emergency services for their “titanic” response and offered the victims’ families his “heartfelt condolences”. » | James Crisp, Europe Editor. James Badcock in Spain. Lilia Sebouai. Tim Sigsworth | Wednesday, October 30, 2024

NYT:

Raging Waters, Abandoned Cars, Layers of Mud: A Grim Scene After Spanish Floods: At least 95 people have died, and others are still missing, though how many remains unclear. Rescuers feared finding more bodies, the defense minister said. »

NYT (Español):

Lo que sabemos sobre las devastadoras inundaciones de España: Al menos 95 personas han muerto tras el aguacero, luego de que en algunas zonas cayera el equivalente a más de un mes de lluvias en menos de 24 horas. »

Related DW video here.

Flash Flooding in Spain Kills Dozens, Rescue Operations Underway | DW News

Oct 30, 2024 | Spanish emergency services say at least 62 people have been killed, after torrential rains sparked flash flooding in the country's south and east. Severe weather warnings are in place for ten of Spain's 17 regions.

The worst affected area is Valencia. Emergency sevices are working to reach areas where the flooding has hit hardest. The regional governor says many people are stranded in inaccessible locations.

Storm Boris Batters Italy after Wreaking Havoc in Central Europe | BBC News

Sep 20, 2024 | Storm Boris is battering the north-east and central regions of Italy, days after causing widespread flooding in central Europe.

More than 1,000 residents in the north-eastern region of Emilia Romagna have been evacuated, while towns in the central region of Marche reported serious flooding and disruption.

The European Union said it will provide €10bn (£8.4bn) to help affected countries. Strong winds and rains have swept across Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria, killing at least 23 people.

Libyan Flood Victims Recount Horror in Derna

Sep 18, 2023 | Libyan flood survivors have begun returning to what’s left of their homes following devastating floods in the northeastern part of the country. Civilian volunteers continued the grim task of searching for survivors and bodies of victims, as the death toll in Derna surged past 11,300 as of September 16, 2023, with thousands more missing. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed with tens of thousands of people displaced by the flooding.

WARNING! This video is extremely upsetting and disturbing. – Mark

How Libya's Governing Authorities Are Handling the Aid Effort | DW News

Sep 18, 2023 | One week on from Libya's devastasting floods, the UN is warning about two more dams in the east, that could burst near Benghazi. The UN's humanitarian office says the dams are under massive pressure, after torrential rains. Local authorities say both dams are in good condition.

Residents in Derna say similar warnings went unheeded for years, before two dams ruptured last week, releasing a wall of water, that swept whole neighborhoods out to sea. The World Health Organization says nearly 4,000 people have been counted dead, and 9,000 are still missing. The aid effort is gathering pace.

Libya Flooding: Recovering and Identifying the Dead in Derna – BBC News

Sep 18, 2023 | A week after catastrophic floods devastated the Libyan city of Derna, rescue teams are continuing to recover dead bodies. The UN says the death toll so far stands at some 11,300. The final total remains unclear - although the one thing that is certain is the sheer scale of this catastrophe. More than 10,000 people remain officially missing, according to figures from the UN's Office for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Libya and Morocco: Two Very Different Responses to Catastrophe

THE GUARDIAN: The aftermath of an earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Libya has shown up the state of the two nations

Not one but two disasters have struck in recent days – the earthquake in Morocco and devastating flooding in Libya.

At least 2,900 people are known to have died in the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains a week ago, and the authorities say the death toll will rise.

Three days later, on 11 September, intense flooding in Libya led to the collapse of two dams that unleashed a torrent of mud and water into Derna, destroying large parts of the eastern city.

On Friday morning, the Libyan Red Crescent said the number of people who had died in the city had risen to 11,000 and was expected to rise further as rescue teams arrived and helped to retrieve more bodies from the mud. Officials said 30,000 people were missing.

The full scale of the disaster may be far greater, as few international aid agencies or news reporters have been able to reach the flood-hit area. This area is controlled not by the government in Tripoli but by a rival warlord.

Morocco and Libya may be geographically relatively close to each other – just a 2,000km hop across Algeria – but they could not be two more different countries. This has had a huge impact on their ability to respond to the disasters. » | Rupert Neate and Peter Beaumont | Friday, September 15, 2023

Libya Flooding: Most Deaths Could Have Been Avoided, Says UN - BBC News

Sep 14, 2023 | Most of the thousands of deaths in the Libya floods could have been avoided, the UN's World Meteorological Organization has said.

The UN's meteorological branch has criticised the warning systems that were in place in Libya. "If they would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued warnings," World Meteorological Organization (WMO) secretary-general Petteri Taalas said.

After two dams failed, whole neighbourhoods were swept away in the torrents.

Libya Flooding: Fears of Up To 20,000 Dead - BBC News

Sep 14, 2023 | The mayor of the eastern Libya port city of Derna estimates between 18,000 and 20,000 people have died in the catastrophic flooding.

Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi told al-Arabiya TV his estimate was based on the number of districts completely destroyed when two burst dams.

More than 5,000 people are known to have died, and at least 10,000 are missing.

Streets were swept away in the torrents and bodies are being recovered from the sea.

The Unimaginable Has Happened in Libya

OPINION : GUEST ESSAY

A man surveys the damage in Derna, Libya, on Sept. 12.Credit...Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters
THE NEW YORK TIMES: This week, the worst storm in recent memory pounded the Green Mountains in eastern Libya with rain, pushing two poorly maintained, half-century-old dams to their limit. Just before 3 a.m. on Sept. 11, the first dam collapsed. An enormous wall of water surged into a riverbed that bisects the coastal city of Derna. It stalled briefly at the second dam eight miles downstream and then scooped that and everything else up in its path, tossing the debris into the sea. By dawn, a third of the city was gone, leaving thousands missing. The number of dead may reach as high as 10,000, Libyan aid coordinators say.

Many people in Libya are calling what happened a tsunami, not a flood, to attempt to capture the physics and power of the devastation. Derna’s nearly 100,000 residents, now stranded, urgently need shelter, food, water and medical care. They need temporary bridges to replace those that were washed out and engineers to rebuild all the roads and fix parts of the city’s operational but battered port. They need cellphone service to reach family members and friends and body bags for the corpses being pulled out of the sea. Thousands are homeless, and officials fear other dams in the area may also burst. » | Ethan Chorin, Dr. Chorin is the author of “Benghazi! A New History of the Fiasco That Pushed America and Its World to the Brink.” | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Catastrophic Floods Devastate Libya

Thousands of people have been killed after heavy rains flooded parts of the country’s northeast, a disaster exacerbated by the collapse of two dams in the coastal city of Derna.

Libyan Flood Survivor Recounts Horror After Dams Burst: “We walked out barefoot and saw our friends and neighbors dying,” said a woman from the hard-hit city of Derna. More than 5,000 are reported dead and 10,000 more are believed to be missing. »

Related article here.

‘Sea Is Constantly Dumping Bodies’: Fears Libya Flood Death Toll May Hit 20,000

THE GUARDIAN: Full scale of devastation in north African nation still not clear as aid agencies struggle to reach cut-off areas

International aid is slowly starting to reach the devastated port city of Derna as questions are raised over how as many as 20,000 people may have perished when Storm Daniel hit the northern coast of Libya on Saturday night.

Ten thousand people had been declared missing by official aid agencies such as the Libyan Red Crescent, but the new, ominous higher estimate of 20,000 deaths came from the director of al-Bayda medical centre, Abdul Rahim Maziq.

Corpses still litter the street, and drinkable water is in short supply. Whole families have been wiped out by the storm and with the remoteness of some villages and the rudimentary nature of municipal government, it will take time for the death toll to be confirmed. (With video) » Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Hundreds Stranded without Food in Greece Floods - BBC News

Sep 8, 2023 | In Greece, hundreds of people are stranded without food or water after a devastating storm killed at least 10 people and caused enormous damage.

Storm Daniel was the worst to hit the country for more than a century. It's left a trail of devastation across the central region of Thessaly. Homes were swept away, roads and bridges collapsed and much of Greece's best agricultural land, is now under water.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten; reporting by Sofia Bettiza in Larissa.

Severe Flooding Hits Spain's East Coast after Record Rainfall - BBC News

At Least 180 Killed in India and Nepal Flooding | DW News

Oct 21, 2021 • Scores of people have been killed in devastating flooding and landslides in Nepal and India. Parts of the region are experiencing some of the heaviest post-monsoon rains in years. Rescue efforts have begun, but the damage is already immense.

Houston and South Asia Flooding, Free Speech, Brexit, Game of Thrones