On the day that catastrophic floods devastated Spain's Valencia region, which left around 220 people dead, the region’s top official was reportedly at a long lunch until about 6pm, with water already suring suring through towns.
The October floods in Valencia have triggered intense scrutiny of the government’s crisis response, with mounting public anger directed at regional president Carlos Mazon. Although Spain’s national weather agency issued warnings earlier in the day of of severe rainfall, his administration did not send emergency alerts until after 8pm, after the floodwaters had inundated local communities.
