In Spain’s worst modern floods, survivors turn to a university project to rescue priceless family memories
When devastating flash floods swept through eastern Spain in late October 2024, entire neighborhoods were left buried in mud and loss. In the town of Algemesi, Ana Piedra Carbonell managed to recover just one fragile treasure from her mother’s ruined home — a decades-old family photograph, soaked and falling apart, yet priceless.
With more than 220 lives lost and untold damage across Valencia’s suburbs, the disaster destroyed not only homes and belongings, but also the photos and keepsakes that hold generations of family history. For many survivors, these images are irreplaceable links to loved ones and to the past.
Carbonell brought her photo to a collection point run by the University of Valencia’s new “Save the Pictures” project, which aims to restore and safeguard damaged photographs for flood-hit communities. There, experts carefully assess prints stuck together by water and mud, racing against time before memories fade forever.
“It’s the only keepsake my mother can have because my father passed away when he was 36, and my mother is now 74,” said Carbonell.
“Furniture and cars can be replaced… (Pictures) are material things, but they reach an incalculable sentimental level,” the 44-year-old added.
Others arrived carrying not just a photo, but entire lifetimes. Pilar Jimenez, 65, came with her full family archive from Aldaia — so much that a soldier helping with cleanup needed a wheelbarrow to move it.
“I bring my whole life – my daughters when they were little, my wedding, I don’t know, everything,” she said, trusting the staff to save what they could.
“My father was very fond of photography, so I also have many photos of myself as a child. So it’s a lot.”
For the volunteers and specialists, each image tells a story of love, loss, and resilience. In the midst of destruction, these fragile prints have become symbols of hope — proof that while floods can wash away walls and streets, they cannot erase the bonds captured in a single frame.
This story reminds us that true wealth isn’t measured in what we own, but in the memories we carry. Efforts like “Save the Pictures” show the power of compassion and community — preserving not just photos, but the heart of families rebuilding after tragedy.
Source:
- https://youtu.be/3nQ6p3zAY5s?si=2-b52EL4ExGhaKuv
- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spains-flood-survivors-strive-save-their-photos-memories-2024-11-11/
- https://chatgpt.com/
- https://aistudio.google.com/
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