Valencia’s revised flood maps add 61% more land to high-risk zones

Following the devastating DANA floods of October 2024, Valencia completed the first phase of its PATRICOVA territorial plan and issued new flood-risk maps that raise the vulnerable land from 27,162 to 43,779 hectares, a 61.2% increase. The assessment, based on more than 11,700 measurements from 1,090 rain gauges, identifies larger exposure in areas such as L’Horta Sud, Lower Turia, and the Magro districts. Proposed rules could forbid new construction in the most exposed zones and ban underground car parks in moderate-risk areas, while requiring new buildings to be elevated above projected flood levels.

Existing structures are not automatically required to be altered, but future developments must comply with the updated guidelines. The draft will appear in the Official Gazette on October 16, after which a 20-working-day public consultation will determine final regulations.