Valencia, Spain — Like many parents across Valencia that day, Victor Matías hurried to change his plans, anxious over the forecasted storm. Despite a torrential downpour, he left work early, picked up his young sons, Izan, 5, and Rubén, 3, from nursery, and began preparing their favorite dinner, croquetas, to enjoy while waiting for their mother Marta to return from her evening shift at the local supermarket.
But soon, tragedy struck, turning the Matías family’s world upside down. That night, the relentless storm unleashed flash floods across the Valencia region, leading to deadly torrents that have, to date, claimed at least 219 lives. Many in Spain have followed updates on “Los niños desaparecidos” (“The Missing Children”), grieving alongside the Matías family and others caught in the disaster. The heartbreaking sequence of events—reconstructed from firsthand accounts of neighbors, family, and Victor himself—paint a vivid picture of how this family, like so many, faced unimaginable loss.
Days after the flood, their once-peaceful home was a scene of utter devastation. Streets and neighborhoods lay in ruin after Valencia saw a year’s worth of rain dumped in just hours. Cars, trucks, and debris littered the area, tangled amid crumpled furniture and thick mud. Amid the wreckage, the door to the boys’ bedroom stood intact, with their names, Izan and Rubén, spelled out in bright letters, now surrounded by the storm’s aftermath.
Jonathan Perez, a neighbor, relived the terrifying events. “It was madness,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” According to Jonathan, Victor had grabbed his boys, trying to shield them as water crashed through the walls. But despite his desperate attempts, the force of the torrent pulled them apart. Hours later, Victor was found clinging to a tree, hundreds of meters away. In his despair, Victor told his mother he had nearly let go, but stopped, thinking of his wife, Marta, and their future.
Izan and Rubén had thrived in this home, a safe haven built by the family’s friend Francisco Javier Arona. Known as “Javi,” he’d crafted their house with love in the colonial style, using delicate clay decorations and adding charm to every corner. The quiet cul-de-sac outside had allowed the boys to play freely, a safe place that quickly turned treacherous that stormy night.
The tragedy in Valencia has rocked Spain, with countless families now facing the long road to recovery as they grieve the loved ones, homes, and memories swept away in the deluge. For Victor, Marta, and the extended Matías family, life will never be the same, and their story is a haunting reminder of the resilience required to rebuild after unimaginable loss