As a deadly storm bore down on Valencia on Oct. 29, the regional president was attending a ceremony to recognize his work on sustainable tourism.
Three hours earlier, Spain’s national climate agency had issued a red alert about the rains that were coming. But rather than activating emergency protocols and triggering wider alerts, Carlos Mazon went off to the next meeting on his schedule.
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The towns around the coastal city have been living with the consequences of that decision ever since. The ensuing