The death total has reached 212. Five children are confirmed dead in the flood. Two are missing per the latest reports. Policía Nacional y la Guardia Civil have 28 cases of missing persons as of November 12, down from 50 the day before.
No victims were found in the parking lot at the MN4 mall in Alfafar.
Debris and vehicle removal continues but there are mountains to move. The first step is to clear a path for pedestrians and vehicles by piling everything on one side, opening one lane.
Maribel Alblat, the mayor of Paiporta, probably the most seriously effected community, called the “delegada del Gobierno” Pilar Bernabé García, charged with central government activities in the province, at 7 pm on the day of the flood. “People are dying,” she said. It took an hour before the massive alert was issued. That meant that thousands more were in their vehicles when the flood waters hit.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) had issued orange alerts the day before the floods for heavy rain. The president of Valencia province Carlos Arturo Mazon has been heavily criticized for the lack of timely response. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also been criticized although it appears that the primary initial response must lie with local officials versus those in Madrid.
Mazon, the Partido Popular leader (conservative), voted against a recent proposal to introduce measures that would prevent the risk of floods along the Mediterranean coast. (Alex Dunham and Conor Faulkner – alex.dunham@thelocal.com, 5 Nov, 2024 CET. Updated: Tue 5 Nov 2024 14:30 CE).
Many people use bottled gas in their homes. Some have to wait in lines for hours for replacement bottles. Water and electricity has returned to at least parts of Catarroja according to a friend of mine with family in the area.
A Spanish Navy vessel landed Monday bringing 104 marines to assist in recovery efforts. There are over 5,000 soldiers already in the area. The ship brought trucks loaded with food, water, support materials, and two SH-60F helicopters. Daily World
Schools in about half of the effected areas are set to reopen on Monday, November 11.
The Ford factory is resuming daytime operations. Further opening will depend on the transport situation. Roads to the effected areas and beyond has been heavily effected, especially during rush hour. The closure of the Metro has forced more people into cars and buses. From Torrent to Valencia took 15 minutes by metro now takes 3+ hours by road. https://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/incomunicacion-torrent-tardar-minutos-llegar-valencia-metro-20241108142255-nt.html
Various fund raising efforts are underway. Last night we attended the tour of the Antiguo Almacen de Dientes. There were more than 50 people in attendance and many more who bought tickets but did not attend.
Source of the above information is the online version of Las Provincias unless otherwise indicated.
