Jávea holds the Spanish record for the greatest amount of rain in 24 hours. This led to devastating floods in 1957. Heavy rainfall, partricularly in the interior, resulted in widespread flooding in 2007. Intervening years have also experienced significant flood and storm damage.
- The background to the floods and flood risk of this area is discussed in Flood Plains - Where the river always reclaims its property
- For a scholarly article about the flood risks in this region see:
Spatial planning processes, territorial planning law and flood risk in the region of Valencia (Spain)
by J. Olcina Cantos University of Alacant, Spain
"To all this we must add the fact that the Valencian society is especially sensitive to natural hazards, as a result of having suffered numerous catastrophes in the second half of the 20th century, especially, in the 1980s and 1990s. The list of major disasters still very much present in collective memory begins in 1957 with the flood of the River Túria in Valencia and includes, in chronological order, the chronic drought suffered in southern Alacant in 1966-67, leading to the approval of the Tajo-Segura Water Transfer Scheme, the floods in October 1972 and 1973 in La Vega Baja del Segura, the collapse of the Tous dam in October 1982, the “wave of cold” in January 1985, the incredible hailstorm of the Day of Santiago in 1986, the overflowing of the Rivers Xúquer and Segura in November 1987, the high winds of February and the floods in September 1989 in many Valencian municipalities, the severe drought in the early 1990s, the flooding of the city of Alacant and surroundings in September 1997 and rivers bursting their banks and flooding large areas of the provinces of Castellón and Valencia as a result of the torrential rain in October 2000."
- Photographs of the 2007 floods can be seen in the following Xàbia Al Dia webalbums:
https://picasaweb.google.com/105421342750262548591/Riada2007
https://picasaweb.google.com/105421342750262548591/Riada2007ElDiaDespues
https://picasaweb.google.com/105421342750262548591/Riada2007FotosLectores
- For a review article on 1957 and 2007 floods and development in Jávea see Jávea's Inescapable Floods
