‘My husband and daughter went down to the garage in case it flooded. Then I heard a strange noise’ – This is climate breakdown

Location Valencia, Spain

Disaster Floods, 2024

This is Toñi García’s story

Toñi García lives in Valencia. On 29 October 2024, devastating storms hit the Iberian peninsula, bringing the heaviest rain so far this century. The national alert system sounded at around 8.30pm local time; by then, however, flood waters had already broken through the city. Scientists say the explosive downpours were linked to climate change.

I had been working with my husband, Miguel Carpio, for over 30 years. We would spend the day together, we would meet at work. With our daughter, Sara, and her boyfriend, we went everywhere – the gym, the dentist, the hairdresser – as a happy and close-knit family.