Sedaví, Spain Floods: Daughter’s Search for Missing Father Highlights Community's Loss

Flooding in Spain leaves over 218 dead; families search for missing loved ones.

Devastating floods hit eastern Spain, claiming lives and leaving communities searching for the missing. One daughter’s search for her father mirrors the widespread tragedy.

 

SEDAVI, Spain — In the wake of severe flooding in eastern Spain, María Murgui clings to the hope that her father, Francisco, may still be alive. The 27-year-old recalls her father’s decision to venture outside to save his motorbike as water levels rose alarmingly around Sedaví.

 

Francisco, along with numerous others, tried to protect belongings as the floodwaters surged. Though he managed to hold onto a tree and call his family to assure them he was fine, María later ventured out with a neighbor to locate him — to no avail. Since that harrowing night, no one has seen Francisco.

 

The flooding on October 29 and the following morning left entire communities submerged, particularly in the Valencia region, where the devastation caught many residents by surprise. Authorities, now facing criticism, had sent emergency alerts to mobile phones only hours after the disaster’s onset, too late for many affected families.

 

The disaster has claimed over 218 lives, marking one of Spain’s deadliest floods in recent memory. As María’s search continues, she joins others desperately awaiting news of their missing loved ones.