You can ask yourself why these violent downpours are so destructive and the answer contains several factors.

A professor of Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Valencia caluculated that this flood in Valencia, almost without precident, was moving at between two and four metres a second… In other words, between 7.2 and 14.4 kilometres an hour.

Can you imagine that? If you’re hanging onto something at street level, that force would very soon rip you free, and if you’re hit by a tree trunk travelling at nearly 15 kilometres an hour… Well, quite simply you’re dead.

So why was the flood water moving so fast? Part of the reason is bridges. Bridges tend to narrow the river and if you narrow the river, then you increase the pressure and speed. Think about putting your finger partially over the end of a hose pipe and the effect it has. Not only do bridges speed the water that is forced through them, the flow that can’t get through, increases the flooding above the bridge.

It also depends on the steepness of the dry gullies and ramblas; the steeper the descent, the faster the flow, which empty into the main river.

Then there’s the baked soil after a long summer, incapable of absorbing the heavy rains so it all washes off, down into gullies.

Finally, you have local town planners that permit the construction of houses too close to ramblas and barrancos, or try to change the course by channelling it underground. The thing is, when these natural water evacuation features handle the usual rainfall, the don’t conform to human’s alterations and sweep all before them.

So, quite apart from Climate Change, which nobody in their sound mind denies is a fact that is already upon us (unless you’re a Trump supporter), it is Man’s tampering with waterways that ends up killing people.

(News/Editorial: Why The Floods)

Keywords: Force of Flood Water, Speed, Reasons, Bridges

Reader Comments. “What has Mr Trump to do with this” – Philip Verstrepen

Editor: it’s satirical humour, Philip, nothing more.