By Milagros Begoña Cano Cernuda / GICJ
The flood was one of the deadliest weather events in recent Spanish history. Several days after devastating floods began on 29 October 2024, destroyed towns in eastern Spain and claimed at least 214 lives. The Valencian government classified the crisis as a level two emergency on a three-tier scale, which reflects Spain's structure for crisis management. This system includes three levels: local (level one), regional (level two), and national (level three). In this case, the situation remained under the regional government's authority, which is responsible for managing emergencies of this magnitude. While the regional authorities have specific responsibilities and resources for handling level two crises, they also have the option to request support from the central government when additional resources or coordination are needed. Frustration has grown over the late government's response. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to "enhance" recovery efforts by deploying 10,000 soldiers and police officers. Officials in the severely affected province of Valencia reported on Sunday, 3 November 2024, that hopes of locating additional survivors are dwindling as torrents of muddy water devastated towns and infrastructure, resulting in at least 211 fatalities in the region, plus two more in Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia [1].
In Valencia, some areas saw over 11 inches of rain. The town of Chiva, near Valencia, was significantly impacted, with nearly 20 inches falling in just 8 hours — an amount typically received over a year, according to Spain's meteorological agency. Rescue teams and civilians continue to search for dozens of missing persons, but the debris left by the flood is hampering their efforts and recovery operations. Photos and videos from Valencia depict cars piled on top of one another, streets littered with rubble, and personal belongings coated in brown mud [2].
Causes of The Dana
As some areas received the equivalent of a year's worth of rain in just a few hours, it caused severe flooding that devastated entire towns and trapped thousands of people. In some places, more than 500 litters per square metre were recorded. The precipitation, accompanied by strong winds and tornadoes, was caused by a weather phenomenon known as an Isolated Depression at High Levels (DANA) that has affected a large area of Southern and Eastern Spain.
The term DANA began to be used by Spanish meteorologists a few decades ago to distinguish it from the more generic term "gota fría," which is typically used to refer to any situation of heavy and abundant rainfall, primarily when it occurs on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula during the autumn. DANA is a phenomenon in which a very cold polar air mass becomes isolated and starts to circulate at very high altitudes (between 5,000 and 9,000 metres), away from the influence of atmospheric circulation. When it collides with the warmer, more humid air typically found over the Mediterranean Sea, it generates strong storms, particularly in late summer and early autumn, when sea temperatures are higher.
According to BBC meteorologist Matt Taylor, "It creates an intensely unstable environment, and that’s where the air rises. Very quickly, it allows storm clouds to really take off, aided and instigated by the winds hitting higher ground and also rising. And the higher the storm clouds, the more moisture they contain". Its destructive potential arises precisely when it mixes with warm land and sea temperatures. Furthermore, according to Delia Gutiérrez, an Aemet meteorologist, “DANAs are a relatively common phenomenon in our latitudes (Spain), and fortunately, most of them do not become widely reported.” Historically, Spain has experienced memorable DANAs due to their destructive consequences, such as the one in 1973, which affected Almería, Granada, and Murcia in the southeast of the country, resulting in significant loss of life and property. Aemet has classified the current storm as the "most adverse of the century in the Community of Valencia." “It has been a historic storm, comparable to the major Mediterranean storms and among the three most intense in the last century in the region,” they added [3].
Late reaction by the Regional and Central Government
Despite the State Meteorological Agency issuing a maximum alert on 29 October 2024 for the DANA rains and warning of "very high risk," authorities took no exceptional measures. Carlos Mazón, president of the regional government of the Community of Valencia, stated around 1:00 PM that day: "The storm is currently moving toward the Serranía de Cuenca, so its intensity is expected to decrease by around 6:00 PM" in the Community of Valencia. Instead, just a few hours later, it devastated much of the province of Valencia. By the time Civil Protection sent an alert message to citizens' mobile phones, the water was already out of control in several areas, and many were clinging to trees or taking refuge on rooftops to save themselves from the unstoppable torrent. As dead bodies are being discovered, it is becoming clear that many drowned in the cars they were travelling in or even while trying to get them out of the garage to prevent the accumulating water from damaging the ground floors and basements.
Climatologist Olcina emphasised that many people carried on with their daily routines, exposing too many individuals. Instead of seeking shelter or evacuating vulnerable areas, they continued moving through streets and living in low-lying homes. She stressed that evacuation orders should have been issued in such situations, and security forces should have been actively ensuring the population's safety. As the debate grows in Spain over whether the regional or central government is responsible for failing to take timely action, climatologist Olcina argued that the crisis highlights flaws in Spain's autonomous State system, which is not equipped to handle emergencies of this magnitude. She emphasised that during such events, there’s no place for political arguments or divisions between local and national levels—what’s crucial is immediate and effective action [4].
Spanish civilians help themselves for survival “The people save the people.”
Thousands of citizens from Valencia travelled on foot as volunteers to help the towns affected by the DANA in the metropolitan area surrounding the provincial capital. Those who have decided to make the journey carried buckets, shovels, brooms, mops, water containers, and carts with food. In some cases, the route they had to take was over 10 kilometres [5].
Additional details about the destruction in the Valencia region are surfacing, where residents described extensive damage and harrowing experiences with the swiftly rising floodwaters. In Valencia city, the regional capital, a courthouse has been repurposed as a temporary morgue. In the La Torre neighbourhood of the city, where water levels reached chest height, volunteers are still searching for those who remain missing [6].
This mobilisation also underscores the intersection of natural disasters and human rights law, emphasising the State's obligation to protect its citizens under international human rights frameworks. The efforts of Valencia's civilians highlight a gap that should prompt legal scrutiny regarding the adequacy of disaster preparedness and response mechanisms. The right to life, as enshrined in Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), obliges States to take proactive measures to prevent loss of life during foreseeable natural disasters. Moreover, the destruction of property and displacement of individuals raises concerns about the right to adequate housing and protection from arbitrary displacement under international covenants.
Concluding Remarks
The tragic flooding in Valencia is a stark reminder of the critical importance of timely and effective governmental action in the face of natural disasters. The delay in responding to the Isolated Depression at High Levels (DANA) weather phenomenon, despite early warnings, reflects significant gaps in Spain’s crisis management systems. The resulting loss of life and widespread devastation could have been mitigated with quicker intervention.
Moreover, the flood underscores the essential role of community resilience, as civilians mobilised to help each other, demonstrating extraordinary solidarity and resourcefulness. However, the government’s failure to provide swift and adequate support only amplified the suffering of the people.
This crisis calls for revaluating Spain’s disaster response mechanisms and a commitment to ensuring that no population faces such devastation without the protection and support they rightfully deserve. Both national and international bodies must hold governments accountable for their failures to protect their citizens, ensuring that future disasters are met with swift, coordinated, and effective action.
Position of Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) condemns the lack of preparedness and the failure of regional and central authorities to act swiftly. While the people of Valencia showed remarkable solidarity, providing aid and shelter to one another, the government’s inaction contributed to the scale of the disaster.
We demand immediate accountability for this failure and urgent crisis management and disaster preparedness reforms. The international community must hold Spain accountable for failing to protect its citizens. GICJ stands in solidarity with the victims of the floods and will continue to advocate for justice.
Sources:
[1]]https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/3/what-to-know-about-flash-floods-that-killed-over-200-people-in-spain
[2] https://www.npr.org/2024/11/02/nx-s1-5176508/spain-valencia-chiva-flood-map
[3] https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/cj6k5xk648zo
[4] https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/cx24815x66eo
[6] ttps://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/01/europe/spain-floods-horror-intl/index.html
