MADRID, Spain — As Europe enters another season of severe weather and flooding, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is drawing on years of experience responding to major floods across the continent, including in Spain, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. From the devastating DANA floods in Valencia to flooding across Central Europe and more recent emergencies in Spain, WCK has worked alongside local partners to provide fresh food to communities in the first hours and days after disaster strikes.

Flooding can transform the lives of thousands of people in just a matter of hours, disrupting roads, damaging homes and businesses, and cutting off access to food and other basic items. WCK’s experience has reinforced the importance of preparing before the floodwaters arrive—not only with the equipment, logistics and resources needed to respond, but with strong local relationships that allow teams to understand communities’ needs and act quickly. 

In Valencia, following the devastating DANA floods in October 2024, WCK mobilized alongside local communities, restaurants, chefs and organizations to provide food across the affected region. Over the course of the response, WCK served more than 6.2 million meals and worked with dozens of local partners.WCK also responded to major flooding in Poland and the Czech Republic in 2024, while our experience in Germany dates back to the devastating floods of 2021. More recently, WCK has responded to flooding and severe weather in Spain, including in Catalonia and Andalusia. 

Pepa Muñoz, WCK Board Member, says:

“When we know severe weather is coming, preparation can make a critical difference. Getting our teams, ingredients, equipment, and local partners ready before the water arrives means we can move quickly and focus on feeding communities when they need us most.”

“Our response to the floods in Valencia showed us how quickly communities can be disrupted. In just a matter of hours, roads, homes, and businesses were flooded, and thousands of people were left without access to basic necessities. Being prepared before an event like this allows us to move faster when every hour matters.”

“Our superpower is our people. Across Europe, we have built relationships with chefs, restaurants, community organizations, and responders who know our model and have worked alongside us before. When a disaster strikes, those relationships allow us to move quickly, understand what communities need, and build a response around the people already there.”

Working with local partners is central to WCK’s approach. Rather than replacing existing community efforts, WCK works alongside the people and organizations already responding, helping them expand their capacity to feed their neighbors during an emergency.

WCK remains prepared  when severe weather affects communities across Europe, drawing on our teams, resources and network of local partners to get food where it is needed most.

For more information or media enquiries, please contact:  
Roberta Alves, Director of Media Relations at ralves@worldcentralkitchen.org or +1 202.400.7483
Our full media team is reachable at press@wck.org