In the aftermath of the catastrophic Valencia floods last month, the Spanish regional leader is under intense scrutiny for his handling of the disaster. More than 220 people lost their lives due to the powerful storms that struck on October 29, causing widespread devastation in eastern and central Spain.
The regional leader addressed lawmakers in Valencia, acknowledging that mistakes were made in the response to the disaster. He admitted that there were shortcomings in the detection and warning systems, which were exposed by the severity of the storm.
Criticism has been mounting against the government for the slow and chaotic response to the floods. Residents were angered by the delayed emergency alerts sent to cell phones, despite early warnings issued by the national weather forecaster. The public outcry led to calls for the regional leader's resignation, with tens of thousands protesting in Valencia city.
Reports surfaced of the regional leader having a lengthy lunch with a journalist on the day of the storm, further damaging his reputation. He defended himself by stating that the national body responsible for measuring river flows provided insufficient warnings, making it challenging to predict the magnitude of the deluge.
The decentralized nature of Spain's government assigns civil protection responsibilities to regional authorities. While regional governments can seek assistance from the national government in Madrid, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the emergency response system.
Science minister from the opposing party criticized the regional leader's response as an 'act of political cowardice' and called for his dismissal. The majority of flood victims were elderly individuals from small towns near Valencia, highlighting the tragic impact of the disaster on vulnerable populations.
