Valencia DANA Crisis: A Call for Accountability and the Rise of Community Solidarity Amid Catastrophe

What Happened?

In late October, Spain experienced one of the worst natural disasters in recent history. The recent DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels) in Valencia caused an unprecedented catastrophe, with torrential rains accumulating up to 500 liters per square meter . The phenomenon began on October 29th and unleashed a chain of storms that triggered severe flooding, particularly in the metropolitan area of Valencia and its surroundings.

The floods devastated key infrastructure , affecting homes and industrial areas, where many workers were trapped. More than 325,000 people in Valencia are in what has now been called the “ground zero” zone due to the extent of the damage. To date, the death toll has exceeded 218, many areas still undergoing recovery efforts.

Chronology of events and the legal framework of Spanish competencies

Five days before the disaster, AEMET (State Meteorological Agency) announced the possible arrival of a DANA in Valencia, initially uncertain about its effects. As predictions of heavy rain solidified, Valencia was placed under an orange alert on Monday, October 28th, which escalated to a red alert on Tuesday morning, with warnings of torrential rain and flooding. AEMET recommended extreme precautions early Tuesday, but the first advisory from the Valencian president came only later that morning, urging road caution. Twelve hours later, at 8.11 p.m., a message was sent advising residents to stay indoors, despite populated areas were already flooded, and people were trapped or missing.

The delay in issuing a civil protection warning after AEMET’s announcement highlights the complexities of Spain’s decentralised autonomous communities’ system, which grants exclusive powers over civil protection to regional governments. In this case, the authority for issuing civil protection notices fell to the Generalitat Valenciana and revealed the autonomic government negligence in notifying the population about necessary precautions for the DANA. Under Spain’s emergency response structure, Valencia is currently at emergency level 2, classifying it as a regional emergency that the Generalitat Valenciana is responsible for managing with regional resources. This level allows the Generalitat to request additional state resources if needed, without declaring a state of alarm, which keeps control with the regional government. At level 3, however, the situation would be considered of national interest, and control would shift to the Spanish central government. The central government could also impose a state of alarm, centralizing authority, but has chosen not to intervene since the Generalitat has not requested assistance.

Climate Analysis

Although DANAs are a familiar weather phenomenon in Spain, climate change is intensifying its frequency and severity. The Mediterranean is rapidly warming, causing higher sea surface temperatures that lead to increased evaporation and more moisture in the air. When this humid air encounters colder atmospheric conditions, it results in more powerful and erratic storms. Rising global temperatures also cause shifts in weather patterns, making extreme events like DANA more unpredictable and destructive.

Climate change, intensified by unsustainable production and consumption systems, underscores the responsibility of state-corporate dynamics in environmental crises. Natural disasters, such as the DANA, are increasingly linked to the harmful activities of large corporations whose operations often continue unchecked, benefiting from state backing or permissive regulations. These corporations contribute significantly to environmental degradation, and their impact is magnified when economic interests override environmental protections, demonstrating the critical connection between industrial practices, state policies, and climate-related disasters.

Political Analysis

This catastrophic event in Valencia revealed troubling systemic gaps in the government’s approach to crisis preparedness and risk management. One critical issue revealed by the disaster is the privatization of emergency services. On the 29th of October, Valencia’s emergency call system, managed by the company Ilunion, was staffed by just 24 operators , a number that dwindled to only six at night. This lack of personnel, a result of cost-cutting measures, undermined the region’s ability to respond effectively to the emergency. With rainfall reaching up to 500 liters per square meter in certain areas, this staffing shortfall severely hindered rescue and recovery efforts, contributing to the extent of the tragedy.

Additionally, the reluctance of the Valencian government to upgrade the emergency response to Level 3 during the DANA crisis highlights a troubling political pattern: economic continuity was prioritized over public safety. Regional president Carlos Mazón's focus on maintaining work schedules and economic activities, despite the looming threat of severe flooding, underscores a broader tendency to downplay the risks of extreme weather. This approach reflects a systemic tendency to prioritize economic interests, often at the expense of environmental protections and the well-being of the public, as seen in the Valencian regional’s government delayed response to the emergency as the flood warnings to cell phones were sent at 8 pm on Tuesday when the flooding had already started in some places and well after the national weather agency issued a red alert indicating heavy rains.

Urban planning policies have also come under scrutiny. Decades of unchecked development in flood-prone areas have left Valencia and surrounding regions vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite warnings, development in high-risk zones has continued, a decision likely driven by corporate and economic incentives. This urban expansion disregards the vulnerability of infrastructure and the risks to human lives, placing residents in increasingly hazardous situations as climate change intensifies such events.

Social Analysis

The DANA crisis in Valencia has had a serious and deep effect on several human rights issues, namely access to water and sanitation, housing, health or food; workers’ rights; the situation of migrants and minorities and the right to information and participation.

The latter has been particularly damaged with the spread of false information by far right groups and the weaponization and politicization of the tragedy, basing their discourse around “public order” and anti-immigration, reinforcing racist attitudes.

Leaders of groups like Revuelta, Núcleo Nacional, Desokupa, and España 2000—far-right groups embracing reactionary discourse akin to that of Vox (far right political party)—have spent time in the Valencian coastal area, supposedly helping distribute food and clean up. They have been the main instigators of attacks on officials who visited the affected areas, with some displaying Nazi symbols on clothing. Vox has insisted on their assistance “only for Spaniards” . They have also offered legal services to protesters who damaged one of the president’s official cars. The far right uses the tragedy to promote its agenda against the government. Núcleo Nacional’s Twitter account shared images of these attacks, claiming that “it’s the patriots, not the left or the state, who are saving Valencia in the face of the authorities’ inaction and experts’ failure to predict or prevent the tragedy”.

Some groups profess to have ideological “foundations” centered on “protecting our Race,” claiming that just as we understand the biological differences between men and women, we should also recognize racial characteristics. They declare their aid priority are Spaniards, adding, “We want to help our people, the Spanish people,” according to Ruiz from Núcleo Nacional, who opposes both “illegal” and “legal” immigration. Felipe González Santos, a researcher at Babeș-Bolyai University in Romania who studies far-right movements globally, notes how the far right is publicizing its aid efforts to fuel a “cultural battle” rooted in a simplistic dichotomy: “us Spaniards” against “them”—immigrants, the idle left, and a “treacherous” government. According to El País , “It’s a critical moment, as social collapse perception increases the likelihood of the far right pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable.”

When arguments questioning the government’s competence or data accuracy spread, they can generate distrust in public institutions, eroding government legitimacy and social cohesion. The perception of a “failed state,” as used by these extremist groups, can be exploited by far-right parties to gain support. Such parties often present themselves as strong, decisive alternatives to what they portray as the current government’s ineffectiveness, promoting authoritarian and exclusionary policies that undermine democratic principles.

Call to Action

Even though the situation seems daunting a month after the floodings, thousands of Spanish people have mobilised themselves in an extraordinary display of communal solidarity, one of the largest ever seen in the country’s history. Faced with government inaction and failure, citizens have turned to collective action and organised support networks, demonstrating the power and necessity of mutual cooperation. These grassroots efforts have become the only hope for many affected by the DANA, reminding us of the crucial value of community-driven initiatives, which are often overlooked in non-crisis times.

However, we find it important to emphasise that the support provided to those affected by the DANA must be rooted in solidarity rather than charity. While charity often operates from a hierarchical perspective, reinforcing existing power dynamics and failing to challenge the root causes of the situation, solidarity takes a different approach. It means working with affected communities, not merely for them, and emphasizes collective empowerment, long-term solutions, and strengthening community resilience while addressing systemic injustices together.

With this principle in mind, EMA Spanish students have compiled a list of organizations dedicated to solidarity-based work. We hope this information proves helpful for anyone interested in donating or collaborating.

Possible entities to donate to or get involved with:

• Mutual Support Network DANA Valencia (‘Xarxa de Suport Mutu Dana València’)
• Movement for Peace: Independent human rights NGO working in Aldaia. They have an open fundraising campaign for supplies. More info here .
• Bookstores: Small bookstores affected by DANA where you can purchase books online. List of bookstores here .
• Farmamundi: Provides essential supplies and hygiene products to affected senior centers. Info for donations here .
• Collectives Uhuru Valencia , casa Massapé, Mujeres Voces y Resistencias , and Azahara organization —groups comprised of migrants and Afro-descendants—are coordinating to receive and distribute supplies and donations.