La peor gota fría (DANA) del siglo, y la mayor incompetencia
I tend to get easily revolted, which means I never truly learn from getting older. But I want to express my indignation and frustration regarding the outcome of the recent catastrophic floods in Spain, especially in the region of Valencia.
It is my opinion that the deaths in Valencia are almost entirely due to the incompetence of the Spanish authorities. The state meteorological agency AEMET issued a generic “red code” alert for the Valencia region shortly before 7am on Tuesday, the 29th, urging only “great caution” but not stressing in any particular way the potential severity. The Civil Protection Service only sent the alert to cell phones after 8pm. Meanwhile, around 6pm, the president of the Valencia region, Carlos Mazón, had said that the rain could decrease in intensity the next day. But the situation in the region was already critical, and the deaths only followed. How was it possible that no action was taken? I’ve seen heavy trucks being left to proceed as usual, only to be swept away by the waters. How was it possible that there was no emergency scenario to help the population left without water, food, and electricity?
It wasn’t Katrina, it wasn’t New Orleans, and we certainly aren’t in 2005. However, mutatis mutandis, such incompetence and unpreparedness can only be compared to FEMA’s catastrophic performance in 2005.
Apparently, heavy rainfall is not uncommon in Spain, especially in the southeast (Levante). La gota fría (cold drop; goutte froide, dôme froid; Kaltlufttropfen), currently called DANA or dana in Spain (from “depresión aislada en niveles altos”) to distinguish it from the less severe abundant precipitations, is a meteorological phenomenon in the form of a very cold low-pressure mass of air (called depression in some languages) at high altitudes (5,000 to 10,000 meters) that is completely detached (therefore called a cold-core low, or a cold-core cyclone) from a primary jet stream and descends until, having met warmer air, it produces large atmospheric disturbances accompanied by very intense precipitation.
Such cut-off lows aren’t unheard of in the rest of Europe, either. The previous most recent event had led to the July 2021 floods in Europe that started in the United Kingdom only to extend to Belgium, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Italy, going eastward up to Romania. Of the officially counted 243 deaths, 196 took place in Germany and 43 in Belgium.
From what I’ve read, despite the phenomenon being known for quite some time, meteorologists are still “puzzled” by it, to quote Andreas Walter of the German Weather Service DWD. Where exactly the rain will fall and how much there will be, can often only be estimated a few hours before the event, according to him.
Well, of course, we know shit, and we can forecast pretty much nothing, but we have certitudes regarding the global warming rebaptized as climate change. We even have a roadmap to a net-zero or “negative CO2 emissions” world by 2050 based on magic thinking.
Previous notable DANA occurrences in Spain (there was no talk of global warming back then) include the great Valencia flood on October 14, 1957 (at least 81 deaths); the Vallès floods on September 25, 1962, in the province of Barcelona (at least 617 deaths); and now the October 29–30 floods in Valencia, Albacete, Almería, and Málaga, with at least 205 deaths. (Reuters update: 213.) Have a gallery of 42 photos of the tragedy, if you need it.
When will the authorities learn from past disasters and prepare so that future deaths be minimized?
Maybe never.
I haven’t keep much into that disaster but on my overview I see a lot of blaming going around on what institutions are responsible of what when another is… Spain, with its murky federalistic reality complicates boundaries even further. The EU suffers from the same with its members states. This is not against federalistic or centralist approach, just that the competencies are too blurry so prone to blaming around. Also, as this site constantly and correctly, points out, efficiency is worsening fast all around us and unlikely to change.
The lesson to us, is that these catastrophic phenomena, power cuts, emergency situations are and will be on the increase for the incoming years so people need to become more resilient and move from areas prone to natural problems and, on the other side, pack food and water and energy for 1-2 weeks and that period is likely to be needed to increase soon.
I suppose people are right to be angry and frustrated. The Government was useless, and the monarchy is even more so. Euronews:
Again, I am not following the flood in Valencia so cannot comment on response, but does not look to be worse than was here in the US.
Regarding the King (and government), Spain, since 2 decades, is a politically highly polarized society. Again and again you see one size bringing up the Civil War deaths and the other the “commies thieves” of the other… it is not normal the farther we are from the 1930s, more it is brought it up. It worries me because that’s how it started in the Balkans in the 90s. Anyways, whatever the King goes (or the PM) there will be always wild protests, from a flood to a ribbon cutting, in recession or booming economy.
This polarized sentiment makes surveys like freedom sentiments, democracy indexes, corruption perception, etc. mostly useless since people are rating based on that high polarization. This started in early 2000s so it wasn’t social media, it was more the press. Probably as subscribers diminished, the press tried to cope with sensationalism. But, if one puts a tin hat, it ma well have been orchestrated from abroad… I find it unlikely, but who knows. Whatever is the case, it was become toxic for a normal society to evolve. It is not a Spanish phenomena, but as the Civil War, gay rights, etc. Spain is usually 2-4 years ahead of most of the West on social issues.
Polarization is not specific to Spain. But its negative effects are, in my opinion, more visible in a federal or non-centralized country, because it makes it even more dysfunctional. Of course, the exception to this rule, and to any other rule, is France: that country will always be dysfunctional, no matter what. Did you know that Italy became the world’s 4th exporter (it was on the 7th place ten years ago), whereas France dropped to the 7th place (from the 5th place)? (source)
Regardless of anything, monarchy is an absurd institution. It made sense in the Middle Ages, and generally when a strong leader was needed to rule a state, for practical reasons. Today’s symbolic monarchies are completely ridiculous. OK, inheriting a crown, as outrageous as it is, doesn’t give you much power; but then, what’s the fucking purpose of a monarch?! Just get rid of them! Powerless presidents (Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary) or no presidents at all, pick your choice. Both Spain’s and Belgium’s monarchies have proven corrupt, and they also have dark pasts. The UK’s is only making Canada and Australia laughing stocks. Why swearing allegiance to a monarch that doesn’t even collect taxes from you? What’s the purpose of a Governor in Canada?
Interesting on Italy’s exports!
On France and Germany, I don’t see them getting out of this crisis anytime soon; correct me if you think otherwise.
Regarding the Spanish Monarchy, as an absolute past republican, I understand you. Now, at my age (similar to yours), I am ok as long it keeps to the mere minimum, so something as in Scandinavia. In the Spanish democratic transition non-violent crimes were forgiven and the introduction of the Monarchy; retrospectively, it was a good price to pay for the Franco supporters forces not to fight against the new era. Other countries in transitions as such, should follow a similar model.
On the Anglo Governor’s is completely ridiculous noways; I presume the political cost of removing it is higher than the financial cost of maintaining it so, there it is still. Out of sight, out of mind.
This is by no means an “out of sight, out of mind” issue! Quite the opposite. With the dumbification of the web search, I couldn’t find (not even with the help of the so-called AI) who was the Canadian MP who initially refused to swear the oath of allegiance to King Charles III. However, she was later required to take the oath in order to take her seat in the House of Commons, as the oath is a constitutional requirement for MPs in Canada (Section 128). I guess it was about Leah Gazan, who is of mixed Chinese-Lakota heritage.
This scandal was probably eclipsed by a larger one. In October 2022, 3 elected MPs from the Parti Québécois (PQ) and 11 elected MPs from Québec Solidaire (QS) refused to swear an oath to King Charles III. Eventually, those from QS did swear allegiance, but the 3 from PQ did not, and were stopped from entering the National Assembly legislature.
Meanwhile, Québec has passed a law making an oath of allegiance to the monarch optional for members of the legislature, but it’s not clear whether the law has any effect, as it contradicts the federal Constitution Act of 1867. A proposed bill (C-347) to the same effect was rejected at the federal level in April 2024.
This shit is truly a relic from the past.
In Australia, senator Lidia Thorpe made headlines very recently. On October 21, 2024, she broke King Charles’ visit to Parliament House: “This is not your land … You are not our king.” She later said, “The colonial state has been built on the continuing genocide on First Peoples.”
On October 24, she swore the oath of allegiance to the queen’s “hairs” rather than her “heirs” 🙂 Shortly after, she backed off and amended her previous statement in which she claimed to have intentionally blundered the oath of allegiance. She “mispronounced” a word: “Forgive me for not being … my English grammar isn’t as good as others and I spoke what I read, so I misspoke.”
Here’s an opinion from Zoe Williams, a Welsh columnist for The Guardian, published on May 1, 2023: The pledge of allegiance to the king is nonsense – and seems designed to incense everyone:
Notă de subsol: lucrătorii cu retard din presa română au scris pe larg despre „uraganul Dana”.
Bineînțeles, doar are rezonanță feminină.
Ca o paranteză, am locuit un an în Valencia și știu că au rectificat prin anii ’60 cursul de atunci al Turiei, făcând râul să treacă prin afara orașului. Tot din cauză că avea prostul obicei să inunde urbea la precipitații mari și foarte mari. În loc de apă, albia sectorului de râu care trece prin oraș e azi populată de parcuri, parcări, terenuri de tenis etc.
Cel mai mare număr de morți s-a înregistrat pe noul curs. Chiar și așa, nici nu vreau să mă gândesc ce s-ar fi întâmplat dacă nu făceau rectificarea acum 60 de ani. Atunci au murit mai puțini oameni și au scos râul din oraș. Acum cred că-l vor scoate și de pe cursul actual.
Râul ăsta ar trebui scos în afara legii, cu tot cu albie.