70% of flood deaths in Europe in 2024 occurred in the Valencia floodplain
A report by Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization warns of an increased risk of torrential rains on the continent, where warming is progressing faster than in other regions
The consequences of the torrential rains that hit the province of Valencia last October were devastating and will be remembered for years. Their deadly impact — a court is investigating whether the regional authorities’ mismanagement of the emergency exacerbated the disaster — was enormous: in just a few tragic hours, 232 people died in Valencia due to flooding, representing 70% of all deaths linked to torrential rains in Europe throughout 2024.
