It's been a couple of days since the disaster. While the victims are sadly increasing by today, I think it's better to start a thread here.

 

All thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. :heart:

Edited November 5, 2024Nov 5 by CowTzy

The images that resulted from this tragic event were really shocking and upsetting; I have to say that from what I've seen the Spanish Met Service (AEMET) did a good job in alerting the public in good time but that there seems to have been a failure or breakdown in communication between local emergency/contingency responders leading to the unnecessary and appalling deaths of many ppl. It sort of reminded me of Boscastle, which was 20 years ago now in August 2004, and how in the UK we've now got a direct partnership between the Environment Agency and the Met Office and a 24/7 specialist Flood Forecasting Center to give more targeted advice to emergency responders. I see the usual suspects trying to make political points out of this tragedy, but I hope that the main outcome long-term will be a better and more resilient warning system that helps to prevent such a catastrophic and needless loss of life in the future.

 

Obviously I can't not mention the impact of climate change and its likely influence on the increasing severity of such events, the Mediterranean sea was at its warmest on record this August (28.4C) and will have played a role in the intensity of rainfall from such an event as warmer air is able to hold more moisture. We've got to accept that such events are increasingly likely to impact us and develop a better plan for how to mitigate against their impacts.