UPV study identifies causes of 2024 Horta Sud floods

Researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) have released a study detailing the factors that intensified the devastating DANA floods in the Horta Sud region on October 29, 2024. Published in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, the research identifies a combination of extraordinary rainfall, simultaneous surges in multiple ravines, and heavy sediment transport as primary drivers of the catastrophe.

The study, conducted by the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA-UPV), utilized mathematical models to reconstruct the event. Findings indicate that the disaster cannot be attributed solely to the Poio ravine; instead, multiple watercourses reached peak flows almost simultaneously between 18:30 and 19:50 hours. This temporal coincidence resulted in a combined system contribution estimated at approximately 7,000 cubic meters per second.

Additional aggravating factors included soil saturation from earlier rainfall episodes and intense urban occupation of naturally floodable areas. The researchers propose mitigation measures such as creating green corridors, renaturalizing ravine beds, forest restoration, and establishing controlled water accumulation spaces to improve prevention against future Mediterranean flash floods.