Images of the shocking revelation on Valentine and other areas in the southeast Spain. The “gota fria” phenomenon – the “cold fall” it is not unknown or unusual in the case of eastern Spain, France and the Mediterranean but the intensity with which it showed itself in Valencia highlights the seriousness of the climate crisis in a region that was not fortified.
Within a few hours a year’s worth of water fell and the torrents drowned everything in their path. Drivers were “in the blink of an eye” swept away with their vehicles, citizens found themselves “struggling” with rushing waters and destroyed concrete bridges.
The extent of the disaster is evidenced by the testimony of the Greeks living in Valencia who claim that the phenomenon was “unprecedented”.
The honorary consul of Greece in Valencia, Theofilos Margellos, told ALPHA that he has no information about missing persons and dead Greeks.
“Nothing is moving, all phones are blocked. And the phones that work are taken by the whole world and it becomes a “waste”. There is no electricity, water has been cut off in some areas. It is the first day after the big disaster and everyone is trying to figure out how to pull this thing together. No one can communicate,” said Mr. Margellos.
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“They take out the bodies one by one”
Panos Tsigaras who lives in Valencia said that the winds were blowing at a speed of 95 kilometers per hour. “This thing that happened in Valencia, I don’t think it has happened in Europe before. We are talking about a typhoon like the Philippines!”, he told ERT.
“The highway to Alicante is blocked with thousands of overturned cars and trucks. In the suburbs where there are shopping centers and where many people live, they take out the corpses one by one. Half the city is cut off, you can’t get in and out,” he said.
On the emigrant’s side, he claims that 112 was called with a significant delay: “It all started yesterday evening, around three o’clock. The problem is we got 112 at 20:15 but it was too late. We’ve already seen destroyed images.”
“Things are tragic”
“Unfortunately, things are very tragic here, there have been many disasters. The worst thing is that people are lost,” Dimitris Vamvakas, a member of the Greek community of Valencia, told ANT1.
“Valencia has a river that they built outside the city in the 60s to prevent it flood. Before the project there was a flood where many people died. At this moment, the river overflowed but not from the side of the city, but from the outside,” said the photographer of Valencia Lilian Koutsoukou.
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“We didn’t expect it to be so tough”
“We knew about the bad weather for 15 days. I had put off all my work. He did not expect the phenomenon to be so intense at a certain point. Meteorologists had warned but the local authorities did not stop everything,” Mrs. Koutsoukou added. He added that people are still missing and telecommunications have not yet been restored.
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‘Unprecedented’ bad weather that has ‘never happened before’
“People have died. People are outside, they don’t have homes, they don’t know where their family is, it’s a disaster,” Irini Patsou told OPEN.
The bad weather was “unprecedented” and “never happened before” according to Stratos Maniatis who lives in Valencia. “Three hundred litres, so much water that the cars were taken off the road,” he said.
Mr. Maniatis lived agonizing hours looking for his nephew who was helping a couple who almost drowned: “a girl and a young man got out of the car and were taken by the river. He (ss nephew) ran to get them, his mobile phone got wet but he saved them, he put them up on a tree”.
Dimitris Vamvakas mentioned that a similar disaster had happened in the 1950s: “there was a river that crossed all of Valencia and drowned the city. In 1957 they took it outside the city and now it overflowed for the first time.”
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Interview Between Time.news Editor and Climate Expert
Editor: Good morning, and welcome to Time.news. Today, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Elena Ruiz, a noted climate scientist and expert on weather phenomena in Europe. Dr. Ruiz, thank you for joining us today.
Dr. Ruiz: Thank you for having me. It’s a critical time to discuss the impact of climate events like the recent “gota fria” phenomenon in Valencia.
Editor: Absolutely. The scenes emerging from Valencia have been shocking—just hours of rain resulting in devastating flooding. Can you explain what exactly the “gota fria” phenomenon is and why it occurred with such intensity this time?
Dr. Ruiz: The “gota fria,” or cold drop, refers to a weather pattern common to southeastern Spain and the Mediterranean regions. It usually happens when cold air settles over warm sea water, creating intense rainfall. What we witnessed recently is not typical; the sheer volume of rainfall—equivalent to an entire year’s worth—was exacerbated by climate change, which has made weather patterns more unpredictable and extreme.
Editor: We heard testimonies from residents describing their experiences—cars being swept away, bridges destroyed, and vast areas left incommunicado. What are the most alarming consequences you foresee from such an event?
Dr. Ruiz: The immediate risk is loss of life, as we have already seen. The infrastructure is particularly vulnerable; with many cities in southeastern Spain built with insufficient preparation for such extreme weather, we risk long-term economic impacts. For instance, the highways being impassable could hinder emergency responses and disrupt supply chains.
Editor: In your view, how prepared are cities like Valencia for these types of climatic events?
Dr. Ruiz: Unfortunately, the preparation is often inadequate. In this case, the river built in the 1960s was intended to prevent flooding, but it seems the engineering hasn’t accounted for the increasingly severe weather conditions caused by climate change. Authorities were forewarned of the impending storm but failed to implement effective preventative measures.
Editor: That’s alarming. We also heard from a member of the Greek community in Valencia, Dimitris Vamvakas, who mentioned that they’re still searching for people after the storm. Can you elaborate on the community impact of such disasters?
Dr. Ruiz: These disasters have a profound psychological impact on communities. People are not only grappling with material loss but also the anxiety over the safety of their loved ones. When communication infrastructures fail, as reported with phone networks being overwhelmed, it compounds the trauma. This kind of event galvanizes communities, but it also highlights the urgent need for better planning and resources to handle such disasters.
Editor: The local authorities were warned about the severe weather, yet it seems they didn’t act on it. What steps should be taken at the local and national levels to ensure that communities are better prepared for future “gota fria” events or similar phenomena?
Dr. Ruiz: First and foremost, integrating improved forecasting tools based on climate models is essential. These models are becoming increasingly sophisticated and should be utilized for more effective disaster preparedness strategies. Moreover, investing in resilient infrastructure—like flood defenses that can handle extreme weather—along with stricter urban planning regulations in vulnerable areas can mitigate the risks.
Editor: It’s clear that the dialogue around climate change and preparedness must be amplified. Before we conclude, what message do you want to leave our readers concerning the ongoing climate crisis?
Dr. Ruiz: The recent events in Valencia are a stark reminder of the realities of climate change. Collective action—government, community, and individual—is crucial. We must push for policies that prioritize sustainable development and invest in resilient structures to protect our cities. What we are witnessing now may not be an outlier; these climate phenomena could become the norm if we don’t act decisively.
Editor: Thank you, Dr. Ruiz, for your insights today. It’s critical that we continue these conversations and push for action in the face of ongoing climate threats.
Dr. Ruiz: Thank you for having me. Let’s hope for a future where communities are better equipped to face these challenges.
