Academic performance is closely linked to students' emotional well-being, as psychological distress can hinder concentration, motivation, and cognitive processes essential for learning. Natural disasters, such as the floods affecting southern Valencian municipalities at the end of October 2024, emotionally impacted not only those directly affected but also others, stirring feelings of helplessness, empathy, survivor's guilt, and anxiety, intensified by a shared sense of community and disruption to daily life. In the Higher Education context, academic activities were initially cancelled and later moved online for the remainder of the semester. This shift required adjustments to course content and teaching methodologies, ultimately reducing the time available for developing transversal skills.

To further explore the impact of the recent cut-off low episode and its consequences on emotional health, academic performance, and, indirectly, the acquisition of transversal skills among students at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agroalimentaria y del Medio Natural at the Universitat Politècnica de València, a 21-question survey was designed. This survey was distributed to all students at the school and is organized into three sections. The first section consists of eight questions related to the course, the degree program, and the material impact of the flash floods. The second section includes three questions regarding emotional impact and the support received from the UPV. The third section contains ten questions concerning flash flood's effect on the acquisition of transversal skills.

As a result, it was found that, fortunately, only 10-12% of the students were directly affected by the floods. However, many reported feelings of sadness and helplessness in response to the situation. Although the time for working on transversal skills in the classroom was reduced, the floods also led to situations that encouraged teamwork and social commitment, providing students with valuable opportunities to exercise these skills.

Keywords: Feelings, competences, life engineering, biotechnology.