Off or out of range: institutional communication, contradictions, and an information blackout during the Dana in Valencia

Abstract

This article examines the institutional communication made available to citizens on 29 October 2024 in Valencia, when torrential rainfall and the overflow of two river basins led to severe flooding across the province. The disaster resulted in 228 deaths and extensive material damage, affecting a population that was caught unprepared. To this end, all information issued by regional and national authorities throughout the day – via X (formally Twitter), the social network primarily used for disseminating updates, as well as through the regional public radio and television broadcasts – was analysed. The findings reveal that the regional administration, which held primary responsibility for managing the emergency, communicated the risks accurately and consistently in the morning. However, some key figures – such as the president of the autonomous community – diverted attention to unrelated matters and downplayed the danger. Nevertheless, the same administration ceased issuing warnings to the public after 5 p.m., just as the flooding intensified. This resulted in an information blackout that prevented citizens from taking protective action, ultimately costing lives and causing further material loss.