Another 500 troops were sent to Valencia amid anger over the flood response

More than 500 soldiers are being deployed to the Valencia region as local authorities criticize their response to the catastrophic floods that have hit Spain in recent days.

More than 200 people are known to have died, most in and around Valencia, but the death toll is expected to continue to rise.

Heavy rains starting Monday have caused flooding, destroyed bridges and covered towns with mud, cutting off communities and leaving them without water, food or electricity.

Thousands of people traveled from the city of Valencia to neighboring rural areas to bring supplies and assist with cleanup efforts, but on Friday authorities announced that traffic in the area would be restricted at the end of the day. weeks to ensure emergency personnel have access.

Weather warnings remain in force in north-east and southern Spain that will last until Sunday, while another warning has been issued in the Balearic Islands on Saturday.

About 1,700 soldiers are taking part in search and rescue operations in the Valencia area, although hopes of finding more survivors are dwindling.

Part of the focus is pumping water out of tunnels and underground parking lots, where there are fears people will be trapped as water rushes in.

Local authorities are facing criticism over the speed of response and lack of warning before the floods.

Amparo Andres, who has owned her shop in Valencia for 40 years, told the BBC that at one point the water in the building reached her neck and she believed she was going to die.

“At least I’m alive, but I lost everything. My business, my house,” she said.

“And the government is not doing anything. Only the young people around are helping us.”

After returning home, local resident Juan Pérez said: “My whole life, my memories.

“My parents lived there. And now overnight, it’s all gone.”

The civil protection agency, overseen by the regional government, issued an emergency warning to people’s phones in and around the city of Valencia after 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Thursday. Three, at that time the flood waters quickly receded. is increasing in many areas and in some cases has caused devastation.

Juan González, who lives in the town of Aldaia, said the area often experiences flash floods.

“It is outrageous that our local government did not do anything knowing that this was going to happen,” he said.

In the devastated town of Paiporta, where more than 60 deaths have been reported, residents expressed frustration that aid was arriving so slowly.

Paco Clemente, a 33-year-old pharmacist, told AFP news agency as he helped clear mud from a friend’s house.

The federal government in Madrid is also facing criticism for not mobilizing the army sooner and for rejecting an offer from the French government to send 200 firefighters to assist with search and rescue efforts.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged to do everything possible to help those affected by the disaster.

Volunteer clean-up efforts in Valencia – largely organized by young people on social media – saw hundreds of people march to the areas worst affected by the floods.

On Friday, local authorities said traffic would be restricted in the Valencia metropolitan area between 00:00 local time on Saturday and 23:59 Sunday.

Local infrastructure head Martínez Mus said the move was made to ensure emergency services can use the road freely and ensure the supply of water, energy, communications and food distribution.

Dozens of people were arrested for looting, with one Aldaia resident telling AFP he saw thieves taking items from an abandoned supermarket because “people were a bit desperate”.

Southern regions – including Huelva and Cartaya – were also affected by heavy rain, while hundreds of families in the city of Jerez had to evacuate their homes.

One of the reasons flooding is so severe is the lack of rainfall during the rest of the year, which leaves the ground in many eastern and southern regions unable to absorb rainwater effectively.

According to state meteorological agency Aemet, the Chiva area near Valencia saw as much rain in an eight-hour period on Tuesday as it usually sees in an entire year.

A warming climate may also contribute to the severity of flooding.

In a preliminary report, World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international group of scientists investigating the role of global warming in extreme weather, estimated that rainfall was 12% heavier than normal. with expected and such weather itself even double the amount of rain. likely.