The DANA that hit eastern Spain brought with it images of devastation that some said already seemed relegated to the past. The scale of the tragedy and the damage caused by torrential rains force us back decades in historyuntil the time when similar disasters left an indelible mark on the collective memory of an entire region.
To find a catastrophe comparable to today’s, we have to go back to October 14. 1957, when an incessant flood of the Turia river floods Valenciaplunging her into a black and white tragedy. This great flood caused the death of more than 80 people and left some 1,700 people homeless, as waters swept away entire neighborhoods and devastated the city center. The image of Valencia submerged in mud, with its collapsed buildings and its streets transformed into rivers, deeply marked an entire generation, which still remembers the pain of that day and the difficulty of rebuilding a city devastated by nature .
The memory of the disaster was present again in October 1982, when the Tous Damsubmerged by the rising flow of the Júcar River, gave in to the pressure. The dam’s failure released millions of liters of water that mixed with torrential rains in a brutal combination that, within hours, devastated nearby towns. The images of waves reaching eight meters high engulfing towns like Beneixida and Gavarda remained engraved as a symbol of this tragedy, which cost the lives of nearly 40 people and caused material damage exceeding 300 million euros. The image of neighbors tirelessly drawing water, trying to save what little they had left, is one of the most painful memories in the recent history of the Valencian Community.
A few decades later, in In 1996, a new cold wave hit the region again, flooding the town of Tavernes de la Valldigna.. That year, torrential rains broke historic records, with 520 liters of water per square meter in just 24 hours, causing the Vaca River to overflow and submerge the city in a nightmare of water and mud. The damage was considerable, exceeding 120 million euros, and once again residents saw how, in a single night, their lives changed forever.
Today, DANA brings back these memories of tragedy. Intense rains caused overflows and flooding in several eastern cities, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes and once again face the harshness of an uncontrollable natural phenomenon.
The Generalitat has activated a telephone number for assistance to relatives of missing persons: 900 365 112. The authorities ask that this telephone number be reserved solely to provide information on the relative who cannot be reached. For emergencies, the number is always 112.
