Satellite images show the damage caused by the floods in Spain

Climate Change and Climate Change Change in Valencia after the Spanish Devastible Floods: The Need to Increase Early Warning Systems to Prevent Future Disasters, as Revealed by Carter

“The devastating floods in Spain are the latest example of the type of extreme climate events that scientists have been warning us about,” writes Rebecca Carter, director of climate adaptation and resilience at the nonprofit World Resources Institute, in an email.

She writes that floods show the need to increase early warning systems to get people out of harm’s way. She writes that, as the climate continues to be unstable, no place can be spared from unprecedented disasters.

An analysis from Climate Central, a nonprofit research group, finds that global warming likely increased temperatures in the part of the Atlantic Ocean where most of the moisture contained in the storm originated.

Climate change has made this week’s intense rain 12% heavier and twice as likely according to an analysis by the World Weather Attribution.

Burning fossil fuels can make the atmosphere hotter, which will cause downpours more intense. The world is 1.3 degrees warmer than it was in the 1800s. Climate research finds a 1.3 degree temperature increase means the atmosphere can hold about 9% more moisture.

Climate scientists have said for decades that global warming will cause severe floods because of the burning of oil, gas and coal.

The picture from the Landsat 8 satellite was captured a day after the historic downpour. It showed parts of the eastern province of Valencia submerged in floodwaters. Meanwhile, the channel of the Turia river and the L’Albufera coastal wetlands were filled with the sentiment-laden deluge.

Valencia had over 11 inches of rain. One area that was particularly hard hit was the town of Chiva near Valencia, which accumulated nearly 20 inches in the span of 8 hours — the equivalent to what it usually receives in an entire year, according to Spain’s meteorological agency.

Rescue teams are still searching for dozens of missing individuals, but their efforts, along with recovery operations, have been hindered by the wreckage left in the wake of the flood. There are cars on top of each other and streets full of debris in some photos and videos from Valencia.

Maria Isabel Albalat, the mayor of one of the impacted towns, Paiporta, said that many streets were still blocked, so rescuers could not fully access her town. She added that when they do get access to a location where one person has been reported dead, they end up discovering three or four bodies.

Pedro Snchez said the government will increase the number of troops and police officers. Local authorities are facing criticism on the issue of not responding sooner.