In the wake of catastrophic floods that have claimed the lives of 211 people, Spain will deploy an additional 10,000 troops and police officers to the flood-stricken Valencia region. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the decision on Saturday, describing the disaster as the second deadliest flood Europe has faced this century. With towns buried under mud and infrastructure devastated, hopes of finding survivors are dwindling, though rescue operations persist.

The unprecedented deployment—Spain's largest of army and security personnel during peacetime—will focus on restoring order, delivering aid, and clearing debris. However, the government's response has faced criticism from residents who argue relief efforts are too slow and insufficient. Prime Minister Sanchez acknowledged these challenges, stressing that while support has been provided, "problems and severe shortages" remain in the hardest-hit areas.

Local authorities restricted road access for two days to facilitate emergency efforts and enable the distribution of food, water, and other essentials to isolated communities. Meanwhile, as transportation and communication services slowly recover, officials anticipate the current number of missing people may decrease.

As communities continue to grapple with the fallout, an overwhelming display of solidarity has seen citizens mobilize to aid cleanup efforts despite official requests to stay off affected roads. The flood resulted from a Mediterranean storm intensified by warmer-than-usual sea temperatures, an occurrence scientists attribute to the effects of climate change on weather extremes.