On October 29, 2024, Valencia experienced catastrophic flooding that has since resulted in a confirmed death toll of 231, including 223 in Valencia, 7 in Castile-La Mancha, and 1 in Andalusia.

In the aftermath, rescue teams comprising military, police, and firefighters successfully rescued 37,000 individuals who were trapped in vehicles, homes, and streets.

Tragically, a body identified as one of the missing persons was discovered in debris in Paiporta, a suburb of Valencia, on December 12.

The flooding affected nearly 100 municipalities, with 87 in the autonomous region of Valencia, inundating around 25,000 hectares of land.

An estimated 30,000 buildings sustained damage, with 1,656 houses declared uninhabitable and at least 130 requiring demolition.

The disaster also destroyed approximately 120,000 vehicles, necessitating the replacement of the regional car fleet.

Essential services were severely disrupted, leaving around 600,000 people without potable water, 150,000 without electricity, and 220,000 without landline phones.

Infrastructure damage was extensive, with nearly 500 kilometers of railway lines and 160 kilometers of roads affected.

Currently, about 8,500 military personnel are engaged in cleanup and search operations across the impacted regions.

In response to the disaster, the Spanish government has approved three aid packages totaling €16.6 billion, approximately 1% of Spain's GDP, to support affected populations and businesses.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez indicated that the government will need to revise public debt and deficit targets, as well as the distribution of European funds, to address the scale of the disaster.

Spain has initiated the process to activate the European Union Solidarity Fund to assist with recovery efforts.