But the intensity of the rains that hit areas around Spain's third-largest city of Valencia – in some places it received about a year's worth of rain in a single day – highlighted how unprepared the country was and prompted the Socialist-led national government to condemn the center. right-wing regional authorities for failing to pass on early warnings to people at risk.

The regional government of Valencia, which is responsible for coordinating emergency services in the affected areas, admitted that it had only sent a text message warning residents at 8:12 p.m., eight hours after the first floods were reported and ten hours later to warn of the impending disaster after Spain's National Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued a warning indicating “extreme danger” across the Valencia region.

By the time the Valencian authorities acted, “the situation had already escalated significantly,” said an official from the national ministry for ecological transition.

“It is the regional governments in Spain that are in charge of the alert systems and have the power to send alerts to citizens' cell phones when necessary to limit mobility… Why this significant delay in sending alerts to cell phones from the Advise travel or walking? to jobs? We don’t know,” said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the politically explosive matter.

The regional government's brief notice warning of heavy rains and advising locals to stay indoors came too late for many who were in low-lying homes, shops and streets that were quickly inundated by the fast-moving floodwaters.

At least 92 people were dead as of Wednesday afternoon, the government official said. Spanish Minister for Territorial Policy Ángel Victor Torres said the extent of the material damage was “incalculable,” adding: “We cannot yet give official figures on the number of missing people, which underlines the enormous scale of this tragedy.”