Furniture businesses in the Valencia area are among those grappling with the deadliest flash floods in Spanish modern history. At least 214 lives, with dozens still missing after intense rains hit the eastern region of Valencia.
Reports speak of the ongoing efforts to bring relief to the Valencia area and uplift and restore lives and businesses battered by the unprecedented floods. To tackle the unprecedented disaster, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the deployment of 5,000 additional troops, bringing the total military personnel involved to 7,500 in the largest peacetime operation by the Spanish Armed Forces.
Photo: Dreamstime.
The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia has been transformed into the command centre for rescue and clean-up efforts, where volunteers have joined regional authorities for the first coordinated clean-up. Many homes were destroyed, leaving people without essential appliances. While help is coming from across Spain, it will take a long time before the area is liveable again.
The storm has also put nearby regions, including the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, and parts of Valencia, on high alert, with more rain expected. Scientists link the severity of such events to climate change, noting that rising Mediterranean temperatures increase water evaporation, which fuels more intense rainstorms. This disaster ranks as Europe's worst flood-related catastrophe since 1967.
It's a new dawn and the sun is rising again
One of the furniture brands in the area, Viccarbe, today issued an update to its customers and shareholders notifying them of their progress in restoration efforts. The update notice was given under the headline: 'It's a new dawn and the sun is rising again'.
The update given by Viccarbe management reads: 'Recent times have shown us the power of resilience. Following the floods caused by severe weather last Tuesday in the southern area of València, we have focused on restoring our facilities, recovering, and gradually resuming our normal operations. The past days have been full of hard work, and we expect to start to recover part of the operational business by next week. This is all thanks to the incredible dedication of the Viccarbe Team, who have shown us once again that human spirit and effort can overcome even the greatest adversities.'