Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia were pelted with mud by crowds during their visit to the region last week, as anger fermented among communities who said they felt abandoned by authorities in the wake of the natural disaster, with troops and police deployed to assist communities in affected areas.

More than 200 people have been confirmed dead, with the toll expected to rise further as recovery efforts continue.

Although Spain’s PM and even the royals have felt the ire of flood victims, it was Valencia's president who closed down the region’s emergencies unit, put climate change deniers in the government and sent out the alert six hours late.