Maltese artist Steven Scicluna has shared the harrowing ordeal his family faced when catastrophic flash floods struck their home in Valencia, leaving them with significant damage and an uncertain path to recovery.

The devastating impact of the floods has prompted the family to create a GoFundMe page to seek support for rebuilding their lives, and it has already seen contributions from kind-hearted supporters.

The region has been left reeling, with the death toll surpassing 200, most of whom were in the Valencia region. The floods have displaced thousands, destroyed homes, and disrupted communities.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Mr Scicluna shared the extent of the damage to his home: “The ground floor [of our house] was inundated with 1.6m of water in the space of 2 hours and everything there was damaged beyond repair or washed away. My car is also gone.”

Despite the immense challenges, he expressed relief that his family, including his partner Sara de la Mora and their son Bruno, are safe, living on the second floor of their home as they figure out their next steps.

Mr Scicluna spoke of the overwhelming support from friends and the local community in the aftermath.

“We’ve been extremely lucky to have friends help out with cleaning up the house and we’re slowly making good progress,” he wrote.

The outpouring of assistance from Valencian residents has been a source of comfort, yet the reality of the recovery process is harsh. “With every passing day it becomes apparent just how difficult the recovery process is going to be both for us and the community. The immensity of the disaster is beyond belief.”

Mr Scicluna assured, “Our intention is to only use what we need and any surplus amount will be donated to the community effort.”

He extended his gratitude to everyone who has reached out or contributed, highlighting that their help is invaluable during this challenging time.