Weather & Science

Climate Change Made Deadly Valencia Floods More Intense

The aftermath of flash floods in Chiva, Spain, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. The region of Valencia is asking Spain's central government for €31.4 billion in rescue funds to help with rebuilding after floods that destroyed homes and left over 200 dead.Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Laura Millan

February 17, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC

Man-made climate change intensified the rain that fell over Spain’s Valencia region in 2024, when flash floods and landslides caused at least 230 deaths and an estimated €29 billion in damages ($34 billion).

Global warming also meant that sudden and heavy rains ended up being more widespread, according to a scientific paper published in Nature Communications on Tuesday. Researchers led by Carlos Calvo-Sancho simulated the event at a kilometer-scale resolution under conditions today, and those in pre-industrial times.