Risk register · entry
Q2 · The CoconutValencia DANA floods
A known flash-flood phenomenon; the regional alert went out hours too late.
The rare, high-impact event that was always coming, and was always going to be called unforeseeable afterwards.
Why this quadrant
A DANA is a known autumn hazard in Valencia, the ravines are mapped, and the 1957 flood already forced the Turia to be diverted. AEMET issued its red alert at 07:31. The regional emergency committee met at 17:00 and the phone alert reached people at 20:11, by which time the water was in the streets. The rain was forecast. The twelve hours were not.
The record
- Death toll: 229 total across Spain, 224 in Valencia province (some early reports cited 220-238 before final counts settled)likely
- AEMET red alert issued 7:31-7:36am, 29 October 2024certain
- CECOPI (regional emergency coordination centre) not convened until 5pmlikely
- Mazon press conference at 1pm predicting storm would dissipate by 6pmlikely
- ES-Alert mobile warning issued at 20:11 (8:11pm), some sources say 20:28likely
- Rainfall: 772 litres/m2 in 24 hours at Turis; 184.6-185 litres/m2 in one hour (Spanish record)likely
- Peak flow measured at 3,500 cubic metres per second by the Jucar Hydrographic Confederationuncertain
- Economic damage estimates range 3.5bn euros (insured) to 17-30bn euros (total, various sources)uncertain
- Over 100,000 vehicles damaged, ~40,000 potentially total losses; some sources cite 144,000 vehicles destroyeduncertain
- 15,969 homes and ~66,000 commercial premises affectedlikely
- 130,000 protesters in Valencia on 9 November 2024 demanding Mazon's resignationlikely
- Carlos Mazon resigned as Valencian regional president on 3 November 2025certain
- 1957 Valencia flood killed at least 81 people, prompting the Turia river diversion ("Plan Sur")likely
Sources
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