We came across several posts on X circulating a dramatic video purportedly depicting the recent catastrophic floods in Valencia, Spain. The video appears to be a compilation of four snippets, each vividly portraying scenes of destruction, such as cars and buildings being swept away by the torrents of floodwater.
The floods in Valencia have been reported as the deadliest in decades on the Iberian peninsula, and has captured the attention of international media for the past couple of weeks. However, upon closer examination, we discovered that the footage shared on X appears to be unrelated. Instead, it closely resembles scenes from Storm Boris, which devastated parts of Central Europe in September 2024.
A deep dive into the footage
The first clip in the compilation features an aerial footage of floodwaters surging past apartment buildings. A reverse image search revealed that the source of this footage is a video originally uploaded to TikTok in September 2024 by Tomas Simunek, a cinematographer and photographer. The original video identified the location as Hanusovice, a northern town in Czechia, which was affected by devasting floods caused by Storm Boris in September 2024.
The second clip features a yellow building visibly damaged by floodwaters. On closer inspection, the shopfront signage depicts what appears to be a Polish word, branzowy. Further research revealed that a building matching this description appeared in a Reuters photostory about Storm Boris. The photo, dated 22 September 2024, was taken in Stronie Slaskie, Poland.
The third clip captures floodwaters inundating a narrow street lined with buildings, including a vibrant pink one. A closer look at the signage of the pink building reveals that the location is a furniture shop based in Krnov, a Czech town near the Polish border. As with the previous video clips, the town of Krnov was heavily affected by floods caused by Storm Boris in September 2024.
The final clip in the compilation was first uploaded to Instagram by Tetova News, a North Macedonian news outlet, on 27 September 2024. The accompanying post specified that the footage was taken in Ladek-Zdroj, Poland, another area severely affected by Storm Boris floods.
Overall, our analysis shows that none of the clips in the video originated from Spain. Instead, the footage depicts scenes from Storm Boris which struck parts of Central Europe, including Poland and Czechia in September 2024. Therefore, the claim that the video depicts the recent floods in Valencia, Spain, is false.
This video highlights how disinformation can spread online, particularly during times of crisis. Interestingly, we also found that footage from this compilation has been used in unrelated claims, such as depicting floods in North Carolina, U.S., after Hurricane Milton and an alleged flood in Paris in October 2024.
In this case, several of the video clips were also manipulated to make verification more challenging—most notably by mirroring (or flipping) the footage, a technique that involves flipping a video horizontally, creating a reversed image of the original. This subtle alteration can make it harder to recognise signage, or other distinguishing features, complicating reverse image searches and other verification efforts.
Hence, it is important to closely examine details in viral videos and photographs such as text and landmarks, and cross-check them with reliable sources to limit the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
