‘I feel anger’: Spain braces for more storms after deadly flash floods

Valencia and Madrid, Spain – When flash floods swept done Valencia, priceless family mementoes were destroyed arsenic waters engulfed Marilo Grandoli’s ground-floor flat.

But, contempt this, Grandoli feels fortunate.

“We mislaid things for illustration nan paper which showed erstwhile my awesome grandfather opened his nutrient shop successful 1915, my schoolhouse homework and family photographs,” she told Al Jazeera.

“These were precious to us. But location are different families who person mislaid relatives. They person mislaid acold more.”

The 52-year-old journalist, who lives successful Catarroja, 1 of nan worst affected areas of Valencia wherever 28 group died, says she is still successful shock, much than 2 weeks aft nan floods.

Now, fears are rising again crossed Spain arsenic much rainstorms frighten to overflow rivers.

On Wednesday, Aemet, nan authorities upwind forecaster, issued reddish alerts for Malaga, wherever thousands person been evacuated, and Tarragona successful Catalonia. An amber alert, nan 2nd highest level, was issued for Valencia.

On Thursday, though alerts were not issued for Malaga, dense rainfall is expected successful parts of nan Valencia region. These do not see nan areas worst affected by nan floods connected October 29.

A personification holds a mobile telephone showing an alert astir postulation restrictions successful 20 municipalities affected by nan overflowing Poyo and Magro, successful Quart de Poblet, Valencia, Spain [Eva Manez/Reuters]

Some Spaniards person covered their cars successful integrative and tied them to lampposts successful preparation.

“I don’t cognize what time of nan week it is, whether it is Monday aliases Tuesday,” said Grandoli.

Like thousands of different Valencians, her life was turned upside down connected October 29 erstwhile flash floods devastated nan city. At slightest 223 group died and 23 are still missing.

As a mammoth cleanup cognition continues, Grandoli says she feels a substance of anger, gratitude and determination.

“I consciousness anger towards nan politicians, but gratitude to nan volunteers and nan nationalist services for nan measurement they person helped clear up. The Valencian group will recover,” she said.

The ire of galore group has been directed astatine Carlos Mazon, nan Valencian location president, whose management issued a reddish alert to residents’ mobile phones astatine 8.11pm connected nan time of nan floods, hours aft nan villages and suburbs of nan metropolis started witnessing nan devastation.

Aemet had issued a reddish alert informing astatine 7.31am connected nan time of nan downpour, 12 hours earlier nan Valencian authorities.

Mazon, who will look earlier nan Valencian parliament connected Friday to explicate his administration’s decisions, told reporters connected Monday that “errors whitethorn person been committed” and “everyone” would beryllium obliged to reappraisal them.

‘He has nan humor of truthful galore group connected his hands’

Tens of thousands of group called for Mazon’s resignation astatine an angry objection connected Saturday successful Valencia, pinch protesters plastering nan Valencian authorities building successful mud.

Eulalia Gregori held aloft a homemade motion showing an upside Mazon pinch devil’s horns.

“Go to hellhole wherever you belong, you near america pinch humor connected your hands,” sounds nan poster.

“Mazon should beryllium nan 1 who pays for this disaster. He has nan humor of truthful galore group connected his hands, yet he spent his clip denying he did thing wrong,” Gregori, 38, a teacher, who lives successful Valencia, told Al Jazeera.

“I did not suffer a relative aliases a begetter successful nan floods and my location is not covered successful mud, but we are each together successful this.”

A man walks past graffiti reference ‘Thanks volunteers. Politician dogs. The group norm here’ pursuing catastrophic flooding, arsenic Spain braces for much torrential rain, successful Paiporta, Valencia [Vincent West/Reuters]

A Valencian authorities spokesperson sent Al Jazeera a connection saying a bid of warnings were issued to residents earlier nan floods.

On nan time of nan disaster, it said, it was not informed successful clip of nan threat of flooding by nan state-run hydrological authority, which is responsible for h2o guidance successful nan area.

Others person directed their anger astatine nan Spanish authorities for failing to present assistance to nan region faster.

Spain is simply a highly decentralised state pinch regions retaining overmuch autonomy.

The flood was declared a level-two emergency, meaning nan Valencian authorities retained authority for managing nan crisis, alternatively than nan cardinal government.

A spokesperson for nan Spanish authorities told Al Jazeera it had done everything to pass of nan impending disaster and to connection thief moreover though it was not successful wide control.

Earlier alert ‘could person saved lives’

Spain’s socialist authorities has sought to debar a governmental statement pinch nan blimpish management successful Valencia tally by nan guidance People’s Party.

Oscar Puente, nan Spanish carrier minister, told reporters connected Tuesday: “This is not nan clip to talk astir responsibilities but nan clip to ore connected nan recuperation of Valencia.”

King Felipe, who was pelted pinch mud erstwhile he visited Valencia pinch politicians past week, is besides nan target of residents’ fury.

Ana Camarasa Belmonte, an master successful hydrology astatine nan University of Valencia who studied nan floodplain wherever nan disaster happened, said fewer group surviving successful nan area knew really to react.

Police and firefighters from Madrid drain a car shed pursuing catastrophic flooding successful Valencia [Vincent West/Reuters]

“If nan alert was sent to group earlier, it could person saved lives. If group had known astir nan consequence they were facing, they could person protected themselves better,” she told Al Jazeera.

Camarasa Belmonte said nan flood happened successful nan Rambla de Poyo stream basin, successful nan southbound of Valencia. Normally, it is simply a watercourse which is usually barren and not accustomed to specified a precocious measurement of water.

“The corporate representation is very short and erstwhile respective years spell by without floods, group hide nan consequence they are facing. This creates a mendacious consciousness of security, which must beryllium combated by national acquisition astir nan threat of nan territory wherever they unrecorded and really to behave successful a flood,” she said.

She added that nan location municipality scheme allowed a precocious level of building successful an area prone to flooding.

“It is intelligibly a bad thought to person truthful overmuch building successful a area for illustration this. The usage should beryllium different,” Camarasa Belmonte said.

Back successful Catarroja, among nan sadness, 1 point gives Grandoli immoderate solace. Her family’s shop has go a pick-up constituent for free nutrient for those who request it astir successful nan neighbourhood.

“I americium truthful pleased my great-grandfather’s shop has go thing affirmative for people,” said Grandoli.