A sum of at least 219 people are confirmed dead and over 90 missing, as the causes of rampant floods that overwhelmed the city of Valencia were almost two weeks ago. Amidst this devastating calamity is the story of the Matías family, with an extraordinary horrible fate.
Like thousands of parents in Valencia, Victor Matías had run around to make sure that family was safe with the rain pounding down, picked up his little boys, 5-year-old Izan and 3-year-old Rubén from nursery, and was preparing himself to sit out the storm at home.
The downpour of October 29 was of unprecedented intensity and set off the flash floods that ravaged the region in destroying countless lives and homes. Valencia saw within hours what equated to its annual figure break the infrastructure. Many houses were destroyed, cars and trucks swept away, and what used to be relatively safe neighborhoods became unbelievable grounds of destruction.
The Family Haven Torn Apart
The house, Victor’s family home was supposed to be a safe haven. A playground for the boys in La Curra, Mas del Jutge, it had been lovingly bought from its previous owner. But as the floods worsened, their heaven became hazardous.
The house was close to a lorries’ parking lot; once the waters started to rise, the trucks scattered near it became killer projectiles. A strong stream smashed against their home, ripping apart walls and carrying Victor and his two sons toward a narrow ravine. Despite his heroic attempts to hold onto them, the strength of the flood tore them apart.
A Community’s Desperate Search
The entire locality, disturbed and grieved, was prompt to begin the search for the two boys. Emergency teams consisting of firefighters from Mallorca and Civil Protection volunteers from Ibiza supplemented these efforts. The random mess, though, involving the wreckage and wrecked cars spread over miles, makes the task of searching complex.
Days have passed into nearly two weeks as people continue their desperate search while the desperation subsides with every passing hour.
The Human Toll on the Family of Matías
Victor, badly injured, is in shambles, his world “reduced to dust,” as his mother, Antonia María, lovingly phrased it. His wife, Marta, had just returned from her late-night shift when the flood occurred and is now trying to cope with an unacceptable loss. The pain that the Matías family feels really resonates throughout Valencia city, symbolizing the terrible human cost of the floods.
Widespread Indignation and Demands for Accountability
The delay of an official red alert-by some, until it finally came in on mobile phones at 8:00 p.m.-has fed into outrage. Many feel an earlier warning might have saved Izan and Rubén, and others. Now local officials are hearing demands for much better disaster response protocols and for timely alerts so that this doesn’t happen again.
As Spain mourns with the Matías family, Valencians are mobilizing across the board to comfort each other. The tragedy has resurfaced the debate across the country on preparedness during emergencies as people seek ways to honor the memories of those lost due to flooding and ensure that such disasters do not recur in the future.
