Spain Flash Floods

 By Sophie Planos

    As of October 30th, there have been at least 205 confirmed deaths, and many more missing from the flash floods in southeastern Spain, the regional government of Valencia said on Wednesday. Several people could not reach safety as large amounts of rain flooded buildings and rendered highways unusable. Some southern and eastern Spain locations received up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours on Tuesday. Since Monday, when the flood began, citizens in the affected areas have struggled to clear the mud and tree-covered streets. Cars and trucks were swept away and dumped in piles, blocking roads. The damage from the storm recalled the aftermath of a tsunami, with survivors having to pick up the pieces as they mourn loved ones lost in Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory. A Masanasa resident on the outskirts of Valencia said “The situation is unbelievable. It's a disaster and there is very little help, We need machinery, and cranes, so that the sites can be accessed. We need a lot of help, and bread and water." The Valencian town received more rain in eight hours on Tuesday than in the past 20 months. The mayor, Amparo Fort, told RNE radio that "entire houses have disappeared, we don't know if there were people inside or not." As of November 5th, a week after the flash floods hit, there are still 89 people missing. The court said that 133 of the dead had been identified using fingerprints or DNA samples. Another 62 bodies remained unidentified. Meanwhile, the gargantuan recovery efforts in Sedavi and dozens of other communities are slowly progressing. The central government on Tuesday approved a 10.6-billion-euro ($11.6-billion) relief package for 78 communities where at least one person has died from the floods. The package includes direct payments of 20,000 euros to 60,000 euros ($21,800-$65,000) to owners of damaged homes and financial aid for businesses and municipal governments. As of right now, streets are still covered with mud and mounds of ruined belongings. In some areas, people are still short necessities, and lines form at impromptu emergency kitchens and stand handing out food. Water is running again but authorities say it is not fit for drinking. If you or anyone you know would like to donate and help Spain in this horrific time, there are currently two donation websites (globalgiving.org and justgiving.com).