Author and photos: Leah Pattem
I’ve seen very little on the news about progress in the flood-hit areas of Valencia, so I was curious to head back there to report on this myself. The clean-up operations by volunteers and public services have been incredible. At first glance, life appears to have resumed to relative normality but Paiporta so quiet.
The town has been working hard to recover in time for the traditional barrio Fallas celebrations. The mud has mostly been cleared, and facades have been repainted, but traces of the flood remain: brown dust still stains the cracks in the pavement, and the record-high water mark is visible on abandoned buildings.
Shiny, brand-new cars – mostly white – line every street. Windows and doors in both residential buildings and garages have been replaced, but around half of the town’s businesses seem to have shut down for good, including Bar Sandra.
The first time I visited Paiporta was just 10 days after the floods, when the town was filled with thousands of volunteers. There was life, noise, and a sense of community everywhere. But this time, things feel different.
It’s Friday lunchtime, and the sound of drilling, grinding, and hammering has slowed. Restaurants are starting to fill their terraces, but the main clientele is construction workers. I ask a passerby where everyone is, and if this is how sleepy Paiporta always is on a Friday afternoon. “Well, it’s lunchtime, so maybe some people have gone home,” she replies. “But remember, hundreds died. And the rest? When they left, they didn’t come back. Paiporta isn’t what it used to be.”
The local church, which became one of the main food banks in the aftermath of the floods, has been handing out little paper stars where neighbours have written their wishes for the future. They hang on trees in parks and many wish safe travels to those they lost on 29 October last year. You can see a row of them hanging on the balcony of an elderly couple who live above Bar Sandra.
From the municipal bus (interestingly it’s a Madrid bus!) which has replaced the metro while the line is being fixed, I saw the nearby countryside where destroyed cars are still scattered. To commuters, this must be a daily reminder of the floods, but the cars are being removed one by one. Local orange groves are still strewn with flood debris but the oranges are pushing through.
I spoke with a few neighbours, and while the tragedy feels less raw, its brutal impact lingers. What struck me most was the shift in the conversation: one neighbour seemed detached and unsure of how to access the recovery funds she was entitled to. Another claimed the media were manipulating public opinion, spreading government misinformation and concealing the truth.
So, here’s my small attempt to help set the record straight. Paiporta after the devastating DANA flooding: 10 days vs 4 months.
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