Floods and torrential rains returned to the Valencia region on Wednesday evening, but this time they were prepared to face them and the areas affected two weeks ago escaped a new disaster.

More than 220 people died in this eastern coastal area, and the town of Paiporta was hardest hit with the loss of 60 lives.

In the midst of despair, local people are naturally looking for glimmers of hope, for example the remarkable story of what happened at Whitby English Language School.

While the entire road was swallowed up by water, the co-director of the college, Daniel Burguet, knocked several times on a door with a chair leg that he had just picked up.

Filmed from a 3rd floor balcony across the street, Daniel is seen constantly smashing against the glass.

He is stuck with his daughter Noa, 11, and three younger children inside the school, unable to reach a higher floor.

Finally, Danny breaks down the door of the neighboring building and, one by one, he brings the children to safety.

“When I walked through that door, I felt so relieved. Finally we were safe,” Daniel tells me as he continues repairs at the school.

In the search for fragments of comfort, it is perhaps also understandable that when stories of bravery are discovered, they are celebrated without shame.

Local media hailed Danny as the “Hero of Pairporta”.

“A lot of people did the same thing that day, a lot of ‘heroes’ like me, if you want to call us that,” he said.

“I feel good about it. I feel the love of the people here. It was me who was filmed, but there were many other heroes.