Valencia DANA 2024 disaster triggers political fallout and judicial probe

On 29 October 2024 a severe DANA storm devastated Valencia, flooding around a hundred municipalities and causing 230 deaths. The tragedy has remained a focal point in regional politics and the courts.

A month before the disaster, Andalusian President Juan Manuel Moreno met Valencian President Carlos Mazón in Granada during a COPE event. The encounter lacked a formal agenda, produced only a brief press release and photographs, and was later described by participants with the remark “¡Ché, pito!”. The meeting was portrayed as a “cumbre”, but Moreno gave Mazón minimal attention.

More than a year after the floods, Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra leads a judicial investigation into the emergency response. The inquiry highlights a delayed alert sent at 20:11 and scrutinises former emergency officials Salomé Pradas and Emilio Argüeso. Mazón’s handling of the crisis is also under review, with prosecutors noting his comment that the situation “da sensación de estar alerta que te cagas”. Victims and their families continue to demand accountability as the court proceedings advance.