Residents accuse regional government leader Carlos Mazón of issuing an alert too late, well after water was already pouring into many towns and villages.

As climate change exacerbates weather patterns along Spain's Mediterranean coast, floods are becoming commonplace and some previous incidents have been deadly. But after at least five decades without a major catastrophe, many people in Valencia were unaware of the grave dangers posed by flash flooding or how to respond.

Some see the floods as an example of the effect of a changing climate that is making overwhelming downpours more common. Locals also say government warnings came too late.

By Graham Keeley VALENCIA (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia on Saturday over regional authorities' handling of devastating floods that killed more than 220 people in one of Europe's worst natural disasters for decades.

Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday in Valencia and other Spanish cities to voice their anger at the authorities' handling of deadly floods.

Something like this has not happened in Cadaques for many, many years.” Local media has reported that the intensity of the downpour has eased, however the dramatic incident comes as communities in Valencia continue mopping up after at least 219 people died in flash flooding in the worst event of its kind in decades.

Thousands of people demonstrated in Valencia. The protests are a response to the way regional authorities have handled the devastating floods, reports Reuters. In the latest demonstration over the floods,