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<ul class="summary-list"><li>At least 62 people have been killed in the worst flooding to hit Spain in decades.</li><li>Flash floods are becoming more common and more intense due to global warming.</li></ul>At least 62 people have been killed and many more are missing in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">worst flooding to hit Spain in decades</a>.Torrential rain hit parts of the country on Tuesday, cutting off main roads, delaying flights, and damaging homes.The rain was the result of a weather phenomenon known as a cold drop, in which cold air moves over warm water.The warm air then rises rapidly, leading to the formation of huge cumulonimbus clouds capable of releasing violent downpours that can devastate towns and cities.Such extreme weather events have a huge human and economic cost — and scientists believe global warming, combined with the way humans have developed the natural landscape, will only make the problem worse.<h2 id="971184fb-8d33-48d1-979d-6445b6e539be">The cost of extreme weather</h2>Estimates for the economic costs of extreme weather and flooding vary, but many tend to agree that they are on the rise.According to the European Environment Agency, extreme weather in Europe caused economic losses of assets estimated at more than $800 billion between 1980 and 2023.Last year, a study by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/09/climate-crisis-cost-extreme-weather-damage-study">Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand</a> said the damage caused by the climate crisis through extreme weather has cost $16 million an hour for the past 20 years.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/extreme-weather-economic-cost-wef23/">The World Economic Forum</a> calculated that the cost of extreme events had increased nearly eight times globally, inflation-adjusted, since the 1970s.The impact of flash flooding can be particularly severe because, often, there is very little warning.<h2 id="8409be50-c212-466d-bbd2-62c416ac5204">Flash flooding in dry areas</h2>Flash floods are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-flash-flood-warning-how-to-stay-safe-vermont-2023-7">different from regular flooding</a> because they develop quickly, in the span of a few hours or even minutes.They can be far more devastating in dry areas because parched soil tends to repel water rather than allow it to soak in.That means surges can result from as little as 10 millimeters in just one hour, according to a<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=3735d139977ac068c02d638e81b04695e0ab6b1d06970add3b44fafb88d52e11&amp;postID=6722014ce5b5408300715e9a&amp;postSlug=flash-floods-spain-increasing-globally-experts-infrastructure-change-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-023-00626-9.epdf%3Fno_publisher_access%3D1%26r3_referer%3Dnature"> 2023 article in Nature</a>."Our analysis using the Emergency Events Database shows that, since 2000, such regions experienced less than half (47%) of deadly flash floods globally, yet saw almost three-quarters (74%) of related deaths," the authors wrote.The same researchers found that the rate of dryland flash flooding around the world was 20 times higher between 2000 and 2022 than it was between 1900 and 1999.Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, a senior state meteorologist and member of the Spanish Meteorological Association, said flash flooding is becoming more frequent, a trend which is set to continue because of the damaging effects of global warming."Events of this type, which used to occur many decades apart, are now becoming more frequent, and their destructive capacity is greater," he said.<h2 id="c6269754-7554-446d-a63e-b8d93fdbfdc3">Why are there more flash floods?</h2>The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a US-based nonprofit, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.edf.org/why-are-floods-hitting-more-places-and-people">said</a> flash flooding has intensified because of increased rainfall and heat waves.The rise in the world's average surface temperature — which was more than 2 Degrees Fahrenheit warmer in 2020 than it was 100 years ago — has resulted in more moisture and clouds in the air, the organization said.According to the EDF, modern infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and sidewalks, has eliminated natural landscape features that would have slowed flooding in the past.It added that stormwater systems designed to protect buildings are often too old and not vast enough to handle the increasing amount of major weather events caused by global warming.Additionally, houses are continuing to be built in areas that are prone to flooding, the organization said.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/floods#tab=tab_1">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) said people who live on floodplains or in buildings without flood protections or warning systems are most vulnerable.<h2 id="283c598d-eb50-4251-afb8-e7fbf0cb4832">What can be done?</h2><div type="image" title="Emergency workers clear debris the morning after heavy rains and flash floods hit the area on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain" height="3333" width="5000" msid="114787520" hostid="261" sizebytes="2262486"></div>Non-environmental factors, such as new infrastructure and better weather warnings, can help prevent the impact of flash flooding.Jess Neumann, an associate professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said that a long-term solution would involve the "radical redesign of urban areas.""Flash floods can affect anyone, anywhere. We take preparation for other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis very seriously with education, drills, and emergency kits," she said. "It is time we afforded the same to flood risk preparedness."John Marsham, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Leeds, agrees with Neumann's assessment."Our entire infrastructure and civilization are based around a climate that no longer exists," he said, adding that some locations are becoming more difficult to insure against flood damage.Some cities are already considering better precautions for extreme weather events. For example, in 2022, the US Army Corps of Engineers unveiled its proposal to build a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/nyregion/storm-project-new-york-harbor-flooding.html">$52 billion moveable sea barrier</a> along the New York Harbor to protect against storm surges.These protections would also allow local economies to recover faster.The EDF reported that the average flood event from excessive rainfall in the US costs around $4.7 billion.Marsham and Liz Stephens, a professor in climate risks and resilience, said that local governments should also implement stronger warnings about the risks of flash flooding to prevent death and injuries."People shouldn't be dying from these kinds of forecasted weather events in countries where they have the resources to do better," Stephens said.

Flash floods are a worsening scourge worldwide — here's why

Nepal, which has been experiencing more frequent instances of <keyword id="20144034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extreme-weather" source="keywords">extreme weather</keyword> in recent times, became the victim of intense floods and <keyword id="19964849" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="landslides" source="keywords">landslides</keyword> once again over the weekend. An estimated 192 people have lost their lives, nearly 100 are injured and at least 30 individuals remain missing. Sources suggest that a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and the unusual positioning of the monsoon trough triggered exceptionally heavy rains across Nepal on Friday. Large swathes of eastern and central Nepal witnessed incessant downpours, resulting in overflowing of the Bagmati — Kathmandu’s main river. One of the hardest-hit areas has been the <keyword id="23370774" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Koshi-River-basin" source="keywords">Koshi River basin</keyword>, with its flooding impacting several districts like Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur. Other rivers like <keyword id="23370775" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gandaki" source="keywords">Gandaki</keyword> and Karnali also caused widespread flooding, with damage concentrated in Banke, Bardiya and Dang districts. The low-lying Terai plains in southern Nepal also faced severe flooding due to the accumulation of rainwater from higher elevations, especially in Morang, Jhapa and Rautahat districts. Reports indicate that the floods have damaged at least 322 houses and 16 bridges across Nepal. Many claimed that they have never seen such a devastating flood and inundation in the Kathmandu Valley in 40-45 years. But flooding was hardly the only side effect of the intense rains. Hilly areas, which are aplenty in Nepal, witnessed landslides. Areas like Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, and Lamjung experienced significant landslides that blocked highways and cut off access to remote villages. In <keyword id="20996363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gorkha" source="keywords">Gorkha</keyword> and Rasuwa, landslides destroyed homes and caused fatalities, with dozens feared trapped under debris. While thousands remain stranded in various parts of Nepal due to road disruption, as many as 4,000 people affected by flood and inundation have been rescued by the <keyword id="21227724" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nepal-Army" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Nepal Army" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Nepal Army">Nepal Army</keyword>, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel, Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson Rishiram Pokharel said. Health experts are warning of the outbreak of water-borne diseases, including cholera, as sanitation facilities have been compromised in many flood-affected areas. Hospitals in Nepalgunj and other cities are already overwhelmed with injured people and mobile health units have been deployed to provide medical aid in more remote locations. Experts have pointed out that <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> is intensifying the frequency of such extreme weather events. Nepal's fragile ecosystem, combined with poor infrastructure, makes the country highly vulnerable to floods and landslides. In the aftermath, rebuilding will require extensive resources, and long-term solutions are being discussed, such as the construction of river embankments, improving disaster preparedness, and better <keyword id="21033786" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flood-forecasting" source="keywords">flood forecasting</keyword> systems. For now, despite the forecast for rain to continue in Nepal until Tuesday, there have been signs of some easing since Sunday. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113758450" title="Several Bihar districts on alert as IMD warns of heavy rain and flash floods" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Nepal floods and landslides have claimed nearly 200 lives over the weekend. What's going on there?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's eastern province of Valencia was hit by intense, historic rainfall.</li><li>51 people were killed in flash floods in the province.</li></ul>Historic flash floods in eastern Spain killed 51 people and roiled the region.The floods, brought about by torrential rains, killed 51 in the province of Valencia, regional emergency services <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1851541597092999643">said</a>, citing a provisional death toll.Though heavy rains are common in the region in fall — part of a phenomenon known as "cold drops" — this one was extreme.According to Spain's State Meteorological <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/AEMET_CValencia/status/1851494356521271313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1851494356521271313%7Ctwgr%5E525da56094d9d8f9387e40796aa4f86c244670c4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcadenaser.com%2Fnacional%2F2024%2F10%2F29%2Fconsecuencias-de-la-dana-en-espana-en-directo-ultima-hora-de-las-inundaciones-desaparecidos-y-problemas-en-los-trenes-ave-cadena-ser%2F">Agency</a>, it was a historic storm, the worst of the 21st century and more severe than anything since 1987.Images and videos from the region showed brown water surging through fields, blocking roads, and hitting some built-up areas.<div type="image" title="The roof of a car submerged in water following floods is pictured in Picuana, near Valencia, eastern Spain, on October 30, 2024." height="1296" width="2000" msid="114776446" hostid="261" sizebytes="105062"></div>The flooding seemed not to strongly hit Valencia, the regional hub and Spain's third-largest city.Per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investinspain.org/en/regions/comunidad-valenciana/industrias-destacadas#:~:text=Automotive%2C%20machinery%20and%20capital%20goods,concentrates%2024%25%20of%20regional%20exports.">a Spanish government briefing</a>, the auto industry is the most significant in Valencia province. It also mentioned chemicals, manufacturing, agri-food and IT.It was not immediately clear whether particular industries or companies had been strongly affected by the floods.Valencia's government advised against road travel in the province due to "heavy" rain warnings in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1851506499224314148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1851506499224314148%7Ctwgr%5E525da56094d9d8f9387e40796aa4f86c244670c4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcadenaser.com%2Fnacional%2F2024%2F10%2F29%2Fconsecuencias-de-la-dana-en-espana-en-directo-ultima-hora-de-las-inundaciones-desaparecidos-y-problemas-en-los-trenes-ave-cadena-ser%2F">alert texts</a> sent to residents in the early hours of Wednesday, local time.In an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/oscar_puente_/status/1851415872843215275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1851415872843215275%7Ctwgr%5E525da56094d9d8f9387e40796aa4f86c244670c4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcadenaser.com%2Fnacional%2F2024%2F10%2F29%2Fconsecuencias-de-la-dana-en-espana-en-directo-ultima-hora-de-las-inundaciones-desaparecidos-y-problemas-en-los-trenes-ave-cadena-ser%2F">X post</a> on Wednesday, Spain's transport minister said there would be no train service on the railway line connecting Valencia to Madrid, the Spanish capital, until at least 10 a.m. local time.On Tuesday, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1851334094535131602">said</a> he was closely following reports of missing people and damage caused by the storm and that all emergency services were being dispatched in response to the storm.In an X <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://x.com/mjosecatala/status/1851561473631191545">post</a> on Wednesday, Valencia city mayor said the province is facing one of the "most difficult and painful" moments in its history.

Spain hit by flash floods that killed 51 people and roiled an economic hub

<keyword id="21866326" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="climate-shocks" source="keywords">Climate shocks</keyword> such as <keyword id="19912527" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="floods" source="keywords">floods</keyword> and landslides are likely to lead to an increased <keyword id="19921096" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-violence" source="keywords">domestic violence</keyword> over the next two years, researchers, who analysed survey data from 156 countries between 1993 and 2019, have found. As global warming intensifies, the researchers, led by those at the <keyword id="19915068" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="University-College-London" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="University College London" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="University College London">University College London</keyword>, UK, urged countries to include funds and <keyword id="23412546" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-action-plans" source="keywords">gender action plans</keyword> in <keyword id="20330963" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-mitigation" source="keywords">climate mitigation</keyword> to address this issue, even as they said the climate shock-violence link remains complex and challenging to discern in a manner understandable to policymakers. The team did, however, add that domestic violence was increasingly prevalent and severe, especially in countries having <keyword id="23412547" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="patriarchal-societies" source="keywords">patriarchal societies</keyword> where violence against women is considered acceptable. Violence rates were found to be low in countries having a higher Gross Domestic Product. The analysis, published in the journal PLoS Climate, is the first to provide evidence of how climate shocks can influence national rates of physical and sexual intimate partner, or domestic, violence, the authors said. It also adds to global evidence regarding the social impacts of climate shocks, which can often be felt long after the events, thereby building a case for policymaking and action, they said. "All of this happens more often and with increased severity in countries that have patriarchal gender norms and where the use of violence against women is widely accepted as normal behaviour," lead author Jenevieve Mannell, from the University College London's Institute for Global Health, said. "Climate-related disasters increase stress and food insecurity in families in ways that can lead to increases in violence. They also reduce the social services often available for dealing with partner violence, such as police and civil society who are more focused on the disaster," Mannell said. Previous studies have found that rising heat and humidity increases aggressive behaviour. "We set out to explore what was happening at a national level to help inform international <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> policy," Mannell said. The researchers also included climate shocks data from floods, storms, landslides, extreme temperatures, droughts, <keyword id="19916432" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earthquakes" source="keywords">earthquakes</keyword>, volcanoes, wildfires between 1920 and 2022 across 190 countries in their analysis. Floods were found to be the most strongly linked with domestic violence, followed by storms and landslides. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and wildfires, on the other hand, were found to not influence violence rates. "National data representing 156 countries suggest a significant relationship between <keyword id="19923453" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="intimate-partner-violence" source="keywords">intimate partner violence</keyword> and a climate factor composed of storms, landslides and floods," the authors wrote. The researchers said they could not assess as to why certain kinds of climate shocks impacted intimate partner violence more than others. They proposed that varied types of climate shocks can take different times before showing their effects on violence against women, which they said could possibly not be captured within the two-year window of the study period. Therefore, they called for more regular data collection by countries for measuring domestic violence in the context of climate change.

Climate shocks can lead to increased domestic violence in the coming years, warn researchers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's eastern province of Valencia was hit hard by intense flooding last week.</li><li>The government has pledged $11 billion to help it recover, but local authorities want $34 billion.</li></ul>Spain said it will give about $11 billion to help restore Valencia after flash floods hammered the province last week — but local authorities there want three times that amount.Historic, deadly flash floods — brought about by torrential rainfall — hit the area last week, killing at least 211, regional emergency services <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853698255730942163">said</a> on Wednesday.Spain's State Meteorological <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">Agency</a> said last week that it was the province's most severe storm since 1987.During a press conference on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sanchezcastejon/status/1853796678265938374">approved</a> $11.55 billion in loans and grants to help storm and flood victims.However, a day earlier, the province's president, Carlos Mazón, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/carlos_mazon_/status/1853555363678728545">said</a> local authorities had asked for an initial package equivalent to about $34 billion."The measures will serve to rebuild, relaunch, and mitigate the effects" of the storm, Mazón told reporters.<div type="image" title="Satellite images of the Valencia province before and after flash floods on October 25, 2022 (left), and October 30, 2024 (right)." height="480" width="640" msid="114986283" hostid="261" sizebytes="62758"></div>On Saturday, Valencia's Chamber of Commerce <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.camaravalencia.com/noticias/informe-sobre-danos-provocados-por-la-dana-en-los-municipios-mas-afectados-y-consecuencias-sobre-la-actividad-economica/">estimated</a> that up to 4,500 businesses had suffered notable damage, with potentially 1,800 severely impacted.The floods affected many economic sectors, including agriculture, industry, and services, it said.Automaking remains Valencia's most <a target="_blank" href="https://www.investinspain.org/en/regions/comunidad-valenciana/industrias-destacadas?#nameRegion">important industry</a>.Cristina del Rey, the communications director for Ford Spain, told BI last week that her company's Valencia plant had not suffered direct damage from the floods but was shut on Wednesday and Thursday.According to a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://fundacionaon.es/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/BAROMETRO-DE-CATASTROFES-2021.pdf">report</a> from the Aon Spain Foundation, a private foundation that works to prevent and assist with natural disasters, the annual cost of natural disasters in Spain between 2016 and 2021, including floods, was between $940 million and $2.5 billion.Local authorities on Sunday <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GVA112/status/1853692672327721128/photo/1">said</a> that the heavy rains — part of a phenomenon known as "cold drops" — had caused "unprecedented" damage to infrastructure and human life.The provisional death toll put it among the most serious natural disasters in Western Europe in recent years. Widespread flooding in July 2021 killed more than 200 people in Belgium, Germany, and surrounding countries.At a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJODVpRdXxR">press conference</a> on Tuesday, Sánchez declared Valencia a disaster area, paving the way for extra funding for local authorities.He said about 15,000 soldiers and police officers had been dispatched to the province, as well as 287 forest brigaders, around a hundred customs officers, 44 forensic physicians, and 600 specialized vehicles for pumping, cleaning, and supplying the affected areas.Sánchez added that 98% of affected households now had power, and about 25 miles of roads and 46 miles of railway tracks had been repaired."We must continue working with more resources, more coordination, and greater effort until normality returns to all the municipalities and to all the homes affected by this tragedy," he said.

You Searched For "severe flooding" and got 5 results

Flash floods are a worsening scourge worldwide — here's why

Mikhaila Friel,Hannah Abraham

Nepal floods and landslides have claimed nearly 200 lives over the weekend. What's going on there?

BI India Bureau

Spain hit by flash floods that killed 51 people and roiled an economic hub

Thibault Spirlet

Climate shocks can lead to increased domestic violence in the coming years, warn researchers

PTI

Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B

Thibault Spirlet

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