A Climate Change Footprint on Storms and Floods: A Satellite Image of the Eastern Valencia, Spain, Disasters During the 2006 Irrigation
Satellite pictures show eastern Spain, which has been ravaged by catastrophic flash floods and has killed more than 200 people.
She writes that the floods highlight the need to increase early warning systems, to get people out of harm’s way quickly. She writes: “As the climate continues to be destabilized, no place can count on being spared from these types of unprecedented disasters.”
There is a clear climate change footprint on events like this one according to Daniel Wilcox, a climate scientist at UCLA who was not involved in the analysis.
“One of the clearest near-term consequences of global warming, aside from rising temperatures themselves, is an increase in the most extreme rain events,” Swain writes.
The hotter the atmosphere is, the more water vapor it can hold. The world is now at least 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than it was during the 1800s. Climate research finds a 1.3 degree temperature increase means the atmosphere can hold about 9% more moisture.
Climate scientists warn that global warming caused by burning oil, gas and coal would cause major flooding.
The Landsat 8 satellite was used to capture the image by NASA Earth Observatory. It showed parts of the eastern province of Valencia submerged in floodwaters. There was sentiment-laden deluge in the Turia river and the L’Albufera coastal wetlands.
There had been some warnings to residents in the days before the storm but there was no direct alert to people on their phones until just after 8 p.m. Floodwaters in some places had risen up to 6 feet by that time. The phone alert also came during rush hour in Spain while most people were on their way home.
Rescue teams are still looking for missing individuals, but efforts to recover and rebuild have been hindered by the debris of the flood. In Valencia there are streets filled with debris, cars stacked on top of each other, and people’s possessions covered in brown mud.
Maria Isabel Albalat, the mayor of one of the impacted towns, Paiporta, said that many streets were still blocked, so rescuers could not fully access her town. She added that when they do get access to a location where one person has been reported dead, they end up discovering three or four bodies.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government will deploy 5,000 more troops and 5,000 additional police officers to the region. Meanwhile, local authorities are facing criticism for failing to respond sooner.