Broken communities and empty shelves - Spanish reel after Valencia floods

The aftermath of Spain's flooding feels like a parallel universe, a Maltese student in Valencia told MaltaToday 

"The country is in a state of mourning," Gianni Delia said, pointing out that while he was not directly affected, people are struggling with the loss. "People feel a bit lost as they cope with the increasing number of fatalities and not knowing where their own families are," he adds.

It's been three days since flash floods swept through several towns in southern Valencia, and still many residents say they are lacking basic supplies. Pictures shared on social media show how the streets are blocked by piled-up vehicles and debris, and some people are trapped in their homes. 

Emergency service workers and more than 1,200 soldiers combed through thick silt in mud-caked towns and villages on Thursday to find survivors and clear roads, while rescuers used helicopters to winch survivors to safety in areas that were still flooded.

Gianni highlighted how supermarkets are running low on essential items like pasta, milk, and bread. “Everyone in the communities is close and you can tell they are feeling for each other that they are in this situation. Many are buying out the necessities at supermarkets to donate to others.”

Transportation has also been hit hard. With metro and train services suspended, Gianni can no longer make his usual 25-minute commute to university. "We’ve been without access to metros and trains for three days," he says, “University has also been suspended with people saying that we might have up to two weeks without metro or trains.”

Delia noted how he thought it would be rain and a little bad weather but then alerts started to appear on his phone shortly before the flood, “I was commuting back home after training and suddenly, I see an alert pop-up on my phone, with a warning to stay indoors.”

Gianni pointed out how there might be political problems in the upcoming days as people are criticising the government for not being prepared for the flood, leaving the death toll reaching above 150 with many places still without water and electricity.

“This storm front is still with us,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said. “Stay home and heed the official recommendation and you will help save lives.”