Valencia flooding: Why did one of the leading smart cities fail on basic safety?

Today, I attended a discussion on smart cities and human rights. In preparing for it, I stumbled upon a paradox that points to the heart of what we expect from technology. Valencia, widely celebrated as a leading smart city, failed to do what cities have done for centuries: effectively warn its citizens of impending danger. Despite all the high-tech infrastructure, Valencia couldn’t manage a basic task that once relied on church bells, fire signals, and even drum networks—alerting residents to imminent floods.

What happened?

In a matter of hours, some parts of Valencia experienced a year’s worth of rain. The heavy downpour left hundreds trapped in their homes, cars swept away, and bridges were destroyed. More than 200 people have lost their lives across southern and eastern Spain due to flash floods.

The local authorities in Valencia have been heavily criticized for their response. They only sent out text messages warning residents about the catastrophic floods eight hours after the first reports came in—a full ten hours after Spain’s meteorological service, AEMET, issued an “extreme danger” warning for the region. The delay cost lives, and the failure to issue timely alerts has raised uncomfortable questions.

Why did early warning fail in Valencia?

It is still not clear what exactly went wrong in Valencia. Most likely, the failure wasn’t technological, but human and organizational—a breakdown in execution rather than an absence of tools. The World Meteorological Organization remarked that effective flood warning systems could have prevented much of the destruction. Yet, a leading smart city somehow failed to deliver on this most fundamental aspect of public safety.

The evolution of early warning systems

Early warning systems are as old as our collective need to protect each other from danger. In ancient times, drums signaled threats across vast distances. The Great Wall of China relied on beacons, and the Romans used signal towers to spread alerts. Even nature has been part of our alert network; canaries famously served as sentinels in coal mines. In the 20th century, sirens blared warnings during wars and emergencies, a practice largely abandoned after the Cold War ended.

Today, we rely on mobile phones for early warnings, with vital information sent directly to devices. But when digital systems fail—as they did in Valencia—the consequences are severe. The question is, why did such a high-tech city struggle to perform such a basic function?

The lessons from Valencia

The Valencia incident reveals a paradox: in pursuing cutting-edge technology, we often overlook the essentials starting with human safety. It reminds us that true ‘smartness’ isn’t about technology—it’s about people, organization, and common sense.

This lesson extends beyond city authorities and urban planners to education, journalism, and economics, where we often let trendy innovation overshadow fundamentals. While technology can enhance our capabilities, it shouldn’t endanger our core humanity. As we move forward, we must balance our embrace of innovation with a commitment to what has always worked: being human.