Guillermo, who must be around 1.90 meters tall, was shocked to see that the water entering his house was already up to his waist level. Living on the ground floor in the center of Aldaia, a town of 31,000 inhabitants near Valencia, Guillermo was in a panic as the water began to rise rapidly, making it impossible for him to open the door. Two neighbors had to help him open the door, and they all barely escaped the strong current of the flood. He recalls the terrifying moment when cars were carried away by the water, and how they managed to escape by forming a human chain. Guillermo, who turned 44 on the following Thursday, was left only with a Ghostbusters t-shirt, stained with mud from the cleanup process.
Sales and Guillermo, a couple who has suffered the effects of the storm in Aldaia, are currently without electricity, internet, and water. They have lost their home and most of their belongings, and plan to stay with relatives in the aftermath of the disaster. The couple went through a harrowing experience during the storm, not knowing each other’s whereabouts for hours while a wild river roared in the background. Despite the hardships, Guillermo finds a moment of levity by joking about the possibility of cars stacked on top of each other being a theme for the upcoming festivities. Sales reflects on the challenging times they are facing, from the pandemic to the storm, and envisions a zombie invasion as the only thing left to add to the list of calamities.
As the storm approached Aldaia, Sales received an emergency alert on her phone just minutes before the flood hit their neighborhood. She recalls the panic of seeing a sudden surge of water and realizing she could not return home, seeking refuge with her aunt on a higher floor. Meanwhile, Guillermo was left alone in the ground floor of their home, trying to fend off the rising water with the help of neighbors. Unable to open the door due to the pressure of the water, Guillermo found himself in a perilous situation reminiscent of the tragic fate of two brothers who lost their lives in a similar scenario in Aldaia.
Sales did not return home until the early hours of the morning, after an anxious night filled with uncertainty about Guillermo’s safety. He had sought shelter with a neighbor on a higher floor, but they eventually had to retreat to the rooftop as the water level continued to rise. Despite the hardships they faced, Guillermo manages to smile, grateful to have survived the ordeal. The couple reflects on the devastation caused by the storm, as they begin the arduous task of cleaning up the mud and debris from their home with only the light of a mobile phone to guide them. The aftermath of the storm has left a trail of destruction in Aldaia, with many residents grappling with the loss of their homes and possessions.
