The passage of a DANA unprecedented in decades on October 29 wreaked havoc in south-eastern Spain. At least 95 people died, and dozens more are still missing, on a day when the towns of Utiel and Chiva, in the Valencia region, recorded as much rainfall in just a few hours as can fall in an entire year.
The Valencian Community was hardest hit, with a provisional death toll of at least 92 in the province of Valencia. But the floods also hit towns in Cuenca, Albacete and Malaga, killing at least three more, and the force of the water inundated homes, swept away cars and destroyed everything in its path. During the night, two hundred people were rescued by land, although there are still several hundred people stranded on the A-3 and A-5 freeways, according to the head of the provincial fire department of the Diputación Valenciana, José Miguel Basset. The State Meteorological Agency’s first assessment of Tuesday’s rainfall provides figures of over 300 l/m² in the area between Utiel and Chiva, where 491 l/m² was collected in just eight hours, almost as much as can rain in an entire year, according to AEMET. These figures make the cold snap hitting the Valencian Community the most severe this century.
From Tecnicas Sanjorge we want to express our most sincere support and solidarity to all the communities and people affected by the terrible effects that DANA has produced. For this reason, we are joining the chain of solidarity, contributing our grain of sand by sending material to the Valencian Community, at the same time giving special recognition and sincere admiration to the tireless work of all the volunteers and to the generosity of society, which, thanks to the solidarity of all, is proving that in difficult times, all united, we are stronger.
From Andalusia, we send you much encouragement and strength.