29 October marks one year since the DANA floods. If you're looking at property around Valencia, in l'Horta Sud, la Ribera or the Hoya de Buñol, ask one question before you fall for anything: was that street under water? We overlaid the official flood footprint on the municipal map. In six municipalities the answer is simple: the entire municipal area was inside it. They are Alfafar, Benetússer, Llocnou de la Corona, Massanassa, Paiporta and Sedaví.
Where the figures come from
The Valencian regional government (Generalitat Valenciana) published the official map of the area flooded on 29 October 2024 when the Magro river and the Poyo, Saleta and Picassent ravines burst their banks. We used the June 2025 version: 42,550 hectares. This isn't a theoretical risk map: it's what actually flooded. We overlaid it on the official municipal boundaries from Spain's National Geographic Institute (IGN) to see how much of each municipality was inside.
Don't read the percentage as "the whole town flooded". In large municipalities like Valencia city, Sueca or Cullera, the flooded area is huge in square kilometres but mostly outside the built-up area: in Valencia, 52.5 of the 54 flooded km² are non-developable land and only 1.2 km² is urban land. In the small, compact towns south of Valencia it's the other way round: almost all the built-up land was inside.
The 20 municipalities with the largest flooded area
| Municipality | Flooded area | % of municipal area |
|---|---|---|
| València | 54.2 km² | 39.0% |
| Sueca | 30.0 km² | 32.5% |
| Algemesí | 29.0 km² | 70.2% |
| Sollana | 25.8 km² | 65.7% |
| Cullera | 24.3 km² | 45.1% |
| Alzira | 15.1 km² | 13.6% |
| Utiel | 12.4 km² | 5.2% |
| Chiva | 12.1 km² | 6.8% |
| Quart de Poblet | 11.8 km² | 59.8% |
| Silla | 11.2 km² | 44.5% |
| Riba-roja de Túria | 10.8 km² | 18.7% |
| Alfafar | 10.1 km² | 100% |
| Catarroja | 9.4 km² | 71.7% |
| Aldaia | 9.3 km² | 57.4% |
| Polinyà de Xúquer | 8.7 km² | 94.6% |
| Picanya | 5.7 km² | 78.6% |
| Massanassa | 5.6 km² | 100% |
| Riola | 4.8 km² | 85.4% |
| Xirivella | 4.2 km² | 81.8% |
| Paiporta | 4.0 km² | 100% |
What it means if you're buying here
Three practical things. First, price: whether the home was in the flooded area is something to know before you negotiate, not after. Second, insurance: ask your insurer how it treats flood zones before you sign. Third, the official delimitation is being reviewed after the DANA (in 2025 the Ministry for the Ecological Transition put the new estimated public water domain for the area out to consultation), so a plot that's outside today may end up inside.
- Check the exact address, not the town. Except in the six municipalities flooded 100%, one municipality can have areas both inside and outside the footprint.
- Ask about damage and repairs: whether the Insurance Compensation Consortium (Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros) paid out, what was fixed and who did it.
- Look at the floor. A ground-floor flat or garage in the flooded area isn't the same as a third-floor flat.
- Get the nota simple (Land Registry extract) and check for charges or open proceedings linked to building repairs.
Was that property under water?
Enter the address or cadastral reference: the official flood-zone check is free, and the full report shows whether the plot was inside the DANA footprint, along with its other risks.
Check an address for freeWhat the listing won't tell you
Listings rarely say whether a home was in the flooded area. The seller is liable for hidden defects, but claiming after completion is slow and expensive. The sensible time to check is before signing the deposit contract (arras), while you can still negotiate or walk away without losing money.
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