In the outpouring of tragic images following the floods in Valencia, that of a Mercadona supermarket chain home delivery truck swept away by the waters, before its driver was eventually rescued by the fire department, has become the symbol of the false dilemma between risk prevention and the preservation of economic activity.
As the death toll from the terrible floods in southeastern Spain continues to rise, reaching 158 on Thursday, October 31, the question of the responsibility of the Valencian authorities as well as local companies is haunting Spain. Why didn't the region send out the alert to residents' cell phones until 8 pm on October 29, when many people were already trapped in their vehicles? The Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued a maximum alert first thing in the morning.
And why didn't the businesses send the employees home? "I want to appeal to companies' sense of responsibility. They have an obligation to protect workers' lives," reiterated Spain's minister of labor, Yolanda Diaz (Sumar, left), on October 30, adding to employees that they "don't have to run any risks."
The decisions made by the region and companies reflect a lack of confidence in weather predictions and sensitivity to extreme atmospheric phenomena, which is nothing new. In September 2023, the president of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso (People's Party, PP, right), had for the first time used the ES-Alert protocol, capable of sending a message to all the phones of people present in a risk zone thanks to a radio frequency system, on the occasion of a "cold drop" that was expected to dump "exceptional" rain on Madrid, according to AEMET. Her decision to ask Madrid residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary was extremely controversial.
Torrential rain had fallen further afield, causing two deaths and the collapse of three bridges in Aldea del Fresno, 50 kilometers west of Madrid. It hadn't rained much on the Spanish capital, but economic activity had suffered. The mayor, José Luis Martinez Almeida (PP), was very concerned. "I ask the AEMET to refine its forecasts, not only because of the economic damage they can cause but also because of the credibility that institutions must have in the eyes of citizens," said the conservative mayor. This criticism was also shared by Juan Manuel Moreno, the PP president of the Andalusian government.
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