'Mud on our hands; blood on his': fury lingers one year after Spain's deadly floods

The article discusses the catastrophic flash floods in Valencia, Spain on October 29, 2024, which resulted in the loss of 229 lives. The article highlights the delayed response by the authorities and the lack of preparedness for such a disaster.

The article mentions that Maribel Vilaplana, who was having lunch with Carlos Mazón, former regional minister for the interior, at the time of the floods, has been ordered to testify before a judge investigating the authorities' late response.

Salomé Pradas, Mazón's former interior minister, has told the judge that she had no experience in dealing with emergencies when she was appointed, and that she acted "in the best possible way".

The article also mentions that Salvador Ciges, a 72-year-old artist and cartoonist, lost 300 paintings when the floodwaters swept through his neighborhood. He and his family escaped by climbing the patio walls and knocking on the window of a first-floor neighbor who let them in.

The article highlights the emotional aftermath for many people affected by the disaster, with feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration towards the authorities' response. The Association of Victims of the Floods of 29 October 2024 has stated that there is "no government in the world that has the tools to alter, stop or avoid an episode of torrential rains that end up pummelling historical rainfall records in a given area at a given time".

The article also mentions that the regional government's €29bn recovery plan contains only one reference to the climate crisis across its 686 pages. The spokesperson for the Association of Victims, Mariló Gradolí, has stated that the plan is "continuing with denialist policies when it comes to climate change" and that they are not offering people safety solutions.

Overall, the article highlights the need for accountability and justice in the face of such a disaster, as well as the importance of learning from these events to prevent similar disasters in the future.

This is just heartbreaking what happened in Valencia , 229 lives lost is way too many... they should've been better prepared , and now people are getting angry , can't blame them . I think the government needs to take responsibility for their actions , and make sure that something like this never happens again . And omg 300 paintings lost by Salvador Ciges ... how is he gonna recover from this?

this is so sad... 229 lives lost in floods in Valencia it's crazy that there was no preparedness or response from the authorities on time. I can imagine how scary it must have been for those who were caught off guard, especially Salvador Ciges and his family . It's heartbreaking to hear about all those paintings he lost too... 300 of them! And the recovery plan is just not doing enough about climate change... €29bn and only one reference to it? That's just not right . We need to hold people accountable for their actions and make sure we're learning from these disasters so we can prevent more in the future .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this... 229 lives lost is just crazy! And what's with the delayed response? Like, shouldn't they've had some kinda plan in place for something like this?! Maribel Vilaplana getting ordered to testify makes sense tho. She was literally having lunch with Carlos Mazón at the time of the floods... talk about bad timing .

And 300 paintings gone by Salvador Ciges? That's just heartbreaking . I feel for him and his family, they're lucky they made it out alive. The article says the government's recovery plan is kinda lacking too... only one mention of climate change across 686 pages?! That's like not taking the problem seriously at all! We need to learn from this and make sure something like this never happens again .

I don't think it's entirely fair to blame the regional government for not having the tools to deal with extreme weather events . I mean, have you seen the complexity of modern climate systems? It's like trying to predict where the next perfect storm is going to hit – we just can't fully control it, no matter how much prep work we do .

And let's be real, 229 lives lost is a terrible tragedy, but we need to stop putting all the blame on one government or administration. It's like saying the weather gods are angry with us because of our actions – newsflash: they're just doing their thing .

I'm also not buying that Salomé Pradas didn't have any experience in emergencies when she got the job . I think we need to hold her accountable for what happened, but let's not assume everything is her fault without more info . And those €29bn recovery funds? Let's just say they're a good start, even if there's only one mention of climate change – it's better than nothing .

229 lives lost is so sad . Authorities response was really slow . Maribel Vilaplana has to testify , that's not fair . Salomé Pradas said she didn't know how to handle emergencies , but still got a job .

300 paintings lost is huge for Salvador Ciges and his family . They were lucky to escape . Emotional aftermath is real . No government can stop climate change .

Recovery plan has one reference to climate crisis , that's not enough . Association of Victims says denialist policies are hurting . We need accountability and justice .

Man... 229 lives lost in one day? It's like, what even is the point of all these fancy emergency drills if you're just gonna wait around for the floodwaters to come in and sweep everyone away? I mean, I've seen some crazy stuff in my time, but this takes the cake. And now they're saying that the climate crisis is basically ignored in that recovery plan? Like, come on! We need to take a long hard look at ourselves and figure out how we can do better next time.

I remember when I was younger, we had these big ol' storms and floods all the time, but you know what? We made do with what we had. We didn't have all these fancy weather forecasts or emergency response teams, but we still managed to keep each other safe. Nowadays it's like everyone's got their eyes on the prize and nobody's willing to get their hands dirty.

And don't even get me started on this Maribel Vilaplana lady... Ordered to testify? You'd think she'd be getting some kind of protection or something, but nope! Just gonna have to face the music. It's like, what's next? Are they gonna make everyone who was there just "make a statement" and move on with their lives? I don't get it...

.. this is just so devastating 229 lives lost in one place? It's like, how can we even begin to process that kind of tragedy? And it's not just the number of people who died, but also the thought of all those families left behind with nothing . The authorities need to take responsibility for their response (or lack thereof). I mean, 686 pages of recovery plan and only one mention of climate change? It's like they're in denial . And now Maribel Vilaplana is being ordered to testify... poor girl, just trying to get answers . We need to learn from this disaster and make sure it never happens again .

man i'm so livid about this whole situation . the fact that maribel vilaplana is being called to testify before a judge is a huge step towards holding people accountable, but it's not enough . we need real change here, like actual reforms in the way our authorities handle emergency situations. and what's with salomé pradas saying she had no experience dealing with emergencies? that's just lazy . the regional government's recovery plan is also a major red flag - €29bn but only one mention of climate crisis? give me a break . we need to demand more from our leaders, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of our citizens.

My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones or their homes in Valencia... 229 lives lost is just devastating. It's crazy how some people still don't get it when it comes to climate change . I mean, a €29bn recovery plan with only one mention of it? That's like putting band-aids on bullet wounds . The authorities need to take responsibility and come up with real solutions, not just spin the situation or pretend they're doing enough. And what really gets me is that some people are still denying climate change ... 300 paintings lost by Salvador Ciges? Unspeakable . We need to make sure we learn from this tragedy so it doesn't happen again .

229 lives lost is just heartbreaking . Authorities gotta do better . Delays & lack of prep are no excuse for such devastating consequences . Artists like Salvador Ciges who lost his entire collection, I feel so bad for him . Family & loved ones escaping by climbing walls to safety is just one thing that will haunt them forever .

Government's €29bn recovery plan with only 1 climate change mention is worrying . Association of Victims saying 'no tools' to prevent these events is a harsh truth . Safety solutions? They better come up with some .

Mariló Gradolí talking the talk but not walking the walk . Accountability & justice are needed for those responsible . We need to learn from these events & make sure this never happens again . So many questions still unanswered...

I'm still shaking my head about this one... how can a government not be prepared for something like this? 229 lives lost is just devastating and it's even more heartbreaking when you think about all the people who have to go through that trauma again when they see their recovery plan has barely any mention of climate change . It's like they're in denial or something. And what really gets me is that they're saying this is a one-off thing, that no government can prevent these kinds of disasters... that's just not true . We've seen it before and we'll see it again if we don't do something about it.

Ugh, this is so devastating ! The idea that there's still a lack of preparedness and planning in place when it comes to natural disasters is just heartbreaking . I mean, 229 lives lost? That's just too much . And now, the authorities are being held accountable for their delayed response, which is super needed . It's like they're saying "we didn't see this coming" which is just not true .

I'm also so frustrated with the whole recovery plan thing . €29 billion and only one mention of climate change? Like, what even is that? And Mariló's statement about denialist policies is spot on . We need to acknowledge the role of climate change in these disasters and take action ASAP .

It's so sad for people like Salvador Ciges who lost their art and their sense of security . And for those who are still feeling angry, sad, and frustrated... I feel you . We need to keep pushing for accountability and justice, not just for the victims but also for the people who are affected by these disasters in the future .

Can you believe what's been happenin' in Valencia ? The flash floods that just happened, it's just devastating . I mean, 229 lives lost is just... *sigh*. It's like they say, "back in my day..." we used to prepare for such disasters, but nowadays it seems like the authorities are caught off guard .

And what really gets me is that the regional government's recovery plan has only one mention of climate change across 686 pages . I mean, come on! Don't they get it? Climate change is real, and we need to start takin' action now . It's not just about the environment; it's about people's lives and safety.

I feel so sorry for Salvador Ciges and his family . Losing 300 paintings is just heartbreaking, but at least they're safe. What really gets me is that the government's plan is more concerned with denialist policies than actual solutions . It's time for some real accountability and justice . We need to learn from these disasters and start takin' care of our planet .

OMG this is just so sickening!!! how can the authorities be that clueless?! 229 lives lost because of their failure to prepare... it's like they're not even trying to learn from their mistakes . and now they're saying they don't have the tools to deal with climate change? that's just unacceptable! it's like they're in denial, you know? I'm so angry for all those people who lost everything... 300 paintings?! that's heartbreaking. we need real action here, not just a bunch of empty promises and recovery plans that ignore the root cause of the problem