By Ned Remington
The last week has seen hugely destructive disasters across the world, with particular attention given to the deadly flooding of Valencia, Spain, which left cars piled up on the streets. At the same time, the Philippines grappled with Tropical Storm Tami and Typhoon Kong-rey hit the island of Taiwan.
At least 158 people have died in the extreme flooding in Spain’s Valencia region, with other parts of the country also affected. The town of Paiporta, Valencia alone recorded over 40 deaths, with local pharmacist Miguel Guerrilla telling the BBC that ‘We all know someone who has died… It’s a nightmare.’ Spain has begun a period of national mourning, with all flags lowered to half mast. The Defence Minister Margaret Robles has deployed the military to assist the 1200 rescue workers on the ground, describing the events as a ‘tragedy.. of absolutely incredible dimensions.”
The flooding was the result of torrential rainfall caused by a ‘cold drop’ (gota fría or DANA in Spanish). According to the Spanish meteorological agency Aemet, the current DANA in Valencia is the worst of the 21st century, with the Valencian town of Chiva receiving the equivalent of one year’s rainfall in just eight hours. It is clear that the danger is not over yet, with Aemet issuing a red alert for the southwestern province of Huelva on Friday.
The Associated Press are reporting that a rapid and partial World Weather Attribution study found that the floods were made double as likely and 12% more severe by climate change. However, the WWA stressed that they had not yet had the time to conduct a full attribution study.
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Last weekend also saw the northeastern Philippines devastated by Tropical Storm Trami, known locally as Kristine. Heavy rainfall brought by the storm flooded entire large towns, with 179 people killed. CNN are reporting that the town of Bulan, Sorosgon Province, was the first to declare a state of emergency, but thankfully no deaths have been reported from that district. However, blocked roads and continued strong winds are hampering rescue efforts, with the army being mobilised to assist rescue teams.
The Philippines wasn’t the only place in South Asia to be affected by natural disasters this week, with Typhoon Kong-Rey making landfall in Taiwan on the 31st. Strong winds and heavy rain affected counties across the island, with more than 9,000 people moved to shelters. 2 deaths and 255 injuries have been reported by Taiwanese authorities. The Guardian are reporting that the Typhoon was the largest to hit Taiwan since 1996, and hit later in the year than any typhoon since records began in the 1950s, after the typical Typhoon season of May-October had ended. Kong-rey also crossed through the northernmost province of the Philippenes just days after Storm Trami, marking the 12th major weather disturbance to hit the nation in 2024.
“I’ve heard people saying that this is the new normal,” World Weather Attribution expert and Imperial College London Researcher Clair Barnes told the Associated Press. “Given that we are currently on track for 2.6 degrees of warming, or thereabouts, within this century, we are only halfway to the new normal.”
Change The Narrative
Support the Global Empowerment Mission’s efforts to help those affected by flooding in Spain here.
Read Volunteer FDIP’s guide on how to support those affected by flooding in Spain here.
Support this GoFundMe by local Valencia resident Riu who is fundraising to support his local community here.
If you live in Spain, you can find a helpful guide to donating essential supplies and resources from EuroWeekly here.
Find a helpful list of charities and organisations you can support who are offering vital support to the people of the Philippines after Trami/Khristine, here.
Learn more about, and support, the International Rescue Committee here.
Write to your local parliamentary / government representative to ask them to take action to help the victims of climate change-induced natural disasters.
Read The Stories, Change The Narrative.
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