"I didn't want to die," said Valencia resident Juliano Sanchez simply. As a wall of water almost three metres high surged towards him, he did the only thing he could: cling to tall palm trees to stop himself being swept away. He held on for seven hours.

He was not the only one fighting for his life as flash flooding in Spain's southern and eastern regions led to apocalypticReferring to the end of the world, or the collapse of civilisation. scenes of chaos and destruction. Survivors clung on to roofs, balconies and bridges after the region saw its heaviest rainfall in 28 years, causing rivers to burst their banks and flood entire towns and road networks.

With more than 150 people dead from the floods as we went to press, experts say that they expect the number of fatalities to rise as dozens remain missing. 

These are Spain's worst floods in at least three decades. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has already announced three days of national mourning, telling victims: "The whole of Spain weeps with you... we won't abandon you."

But authorities are also under scrutiny, as residents say that disaster relief officials were too slow to act on warnings of destructive weather, meaning that people were unable to take the necessary steps to protect themselves. The civil protection agency only issued a danger alert hours after several towns had already been flooded.

Some say it proves that we are underprepared for the devastation the climate crisis is wreaking. Scientists warn that although this is not the only factor causing extreme weather events, it makes them more frequent and more intense. The Mediterranean hit its highest recorded temperature in August.

Throughout history, floods have often been our symbol of choice for the end of humanity as we know it.

In the Book of Genesis, God sees the depravityMoral corruption. and violence of the Earth and decides to destroy his creations with a great flood. In the Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Mesopotamia, the gods become irateFeeling great anger. at all the noise humans create and decide to wipe them out in a flood. In Norse mythology, the Earth is flooded with blood from the giant Ymir after he is slainKilled in a violent way..

There seems to be an abundanceHaving lots of things or a particular thing. of bad omens for people concerned with the climate. This week, it was reported that Japan's Mount Fuji has remained snowless for the longest time since records began 130 years ago, thanks to unusually warm weather.¹

Is this a warning to us all?

Yes: Huge floods are the environment's way of warning us that we are acting hubristicallyWith hubris, which is excessive pride. towards our planet, destroying it without a second thought for the impacts on climate victims like those in Spain.

No: This is a huge tragedy, but the reality is that extreme weather events will happen regardless of the climate crisis. It is purely random and we should not interpret it through the lens of superstition or omens.

Or... It is certainly a warning, but more than a warning of climate change it is a warning of how underprepared we are for extreme weather events. Increasingly, governments are refusing to build the infrastructure we so clearly need to safeguard people in our changing world.

Apocalyptic - Referring to the end of the world, or the collapse of civilisation.

Depravity - Moral corruption.

Irate - Feeling great anger.

Slain - Killed in a violent way.

Abundance - Having lots of things or a particular thing.

Hubristically - With hubris, which is excessive pride.