Seven in ten surveyed businesses recovered from Valencia's DANA, but 2,000 still lag behind

An uneven recovery

Cámara Valencia presented a report on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, assessing urban business activity in the zone hit by the DANA flood of 29 October 2024, two years after the disaster. Its author, Amadeo Aznar, said that seven of every ten surveyed businesses have recovered or surpassed the activity level they had before the flood. Roughly 30% of businesses in the most affected zone have still not reached their pre-flood levels. The study calls the recovery significant but unequal across sectors and municipalities, and says about 2,000 urban businesses have not yet returned to their earlier figures. The survey drew on telephone interviews with 300 managers of urban businesses that existed before the flood and suffered damage, supplemented by group discussions and direct observation in 17 municipalities.

Cámara Valencia president José Vicente Morata described the effort behind the recovery in personal terms:

“No compensation covers the damage caused. The commitment of families, businesses and workers has been tremendous.”

Smaller firms and small towns lag behind

Businesses with one to five workers are the most exposed, with 35% reporting activity below their pre-flood level, against 20% of larger businesses. The gap also appears between towns, as 72% of municipalities above 20,000 inhabitants see activity equal to or above its 2024 level, compared with 64% in places under 20,000. Restaurants and hospitality are the weakest sector, with about 53% of those businesses still below their earlier activity, followed by non-food retail at around 46%. Overall, 27% of businesses now have fewer customers than before the flood.

1 to 5 workers35%

Larger businesses20%

1 to 5 workers

35 %

Larger businesses

20 %

Data from the article text

Fewer customers and cautious spending

Among businesses that have lost customers, 25% blame families redistributing their spending, 14% blame customers moving to other areas, and 11% say customers went elsewhere while their premises were closed. Half of the businesses that had planned to expand premises or open new lines have postponed those plans. Aznar says households are now more prudent and more local, and Cámara Valencia promotes commerce vouchers, now running in 16 municipalities, which generated 9.3 million euros in purchases during the second half of 2025. The report finds no significant move of trade toward less flood-prone areas, while neighbourhood networks and home prevention measures such as attention to elevation, garages and drainage have gained weight.

Household spending redistributed25%

Customers moved to other areas14%

Customers shopped elsewhere while closed11%

Household spending redistributed

25 %

Customers moved to other areas

14 %

Customers shopped elsewhere while closed

11 %

Data from the article text

“Fear is less visible, but it exists when it comes to going to the affected areas, and that also shapes how activity evolves.”

Young people and schools

eldiario.es reports that the flood killed 233 people and disrupted classes and family routines across the region. The Impulsa programme run by Ayuda en Acción has supported 772 young people in six schools in affected areas, combining academic guidance with emotional support. Elena Cristini, who works with the organisation in the Valencian Community, stressed that the risk of dropping out has no single cause:

“There is no single profile or single cause that explains the risk of dropping out of education.”

The organisation reports that many young people live with lasting psychological effects, including recurring anxiety or panic when new storms are forecast. One young person told staff they still had nightmares about the floods a year later, and eldiario.es notes that the disaster also fractured the business fabric of the l'Horta Sud region.

A street that looks almost normal

RTVE returned to Gómez Ferrer avenue, which divides Sedaví and Alfafar and became known as the "calle de los coches" after dozens of vehicles piled up at its junction with Francisco Villa 'El Morenet' street. On a Tuesday morning, 27 October, neighbours were walking, shopping and visiting the pharmacy, and only a closer look revealed the damage. One resident, who was looking after his grandson that afternoon, watched cars smash shop windows from the rooftop, and the vehicles crashed into his building entrance. The family then spent four days unable to leave home, without water or electricity. The waterline is still visible on the damaged entrance, although the water rose even higher in the street itself.