By David Latona, Corina Pons, Pietro Lombardi, Aislinn Laing PAIPORTA, Spain (Reuters) -The water was already knee-high on the ground floor of the hotel where Aitana Puchal had taken refuge when she received a text alert from the regional government of Valencia at 8 pm on Oct.

Climate change helps explains why the storms and floods were so extreme. But questions have emerged about whether communication failures contributed to the toll.

By Graham Keeley VALENCIA (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia on Saturday over regional authorities' handling of devastating floods that killed more than 220 people in one of Europe's worst natural disasters for decades.

Thousands of people demonstrated in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia on Saturday over regional authorities' handling of devastating floods that killed more than 220 people in one of Europe's worst natural disasters for decades.

Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday in Valencia and other Spanish cities to voice their anger at the authorities' handling of deadly floods.

Something like this has not happened in Cadaques for many, many years.” Local media has reported that the intensity of the downpour has eased, however the dramatic incident comes as communities in Valencia continue mopping up after at least 219 people died in flash flooding in the worst event of its kind in decades.

Thousands of people demonstrated in Valencia. The protests are a response to the way regional authorities have handled the devastating floods, reports Reuters. In the latest demonstration over the floods,