Madrid [Spain], October 31, 2024: Catastrophic flash floods have claimed the lives of at least 95 people across Spain, with emergency responders tirelessly searching for the missing as floodwaters continue to overwhelm communities, according to local authorities and CNN reports.
The region hardest hit was Valencia, where a staggering 92 fatalities were reported, confirmed by Spain’s Minister of Territorial Policy, Angel Victor Torres. The disaster also claimed lives in Castile-La Mancha, where two people died, and in Andalusia with one confirmed fatality.
In the Valencia town of Paiporta, where the situation is especially grim, Mayor Maribel Albalat reported that 40 people, including six residents from a retirement home, have lost their lives, according to EFE, as cited by CNN.
The intensity of the storm was unprecedented, with southern and eastern Spain recording up to 12 inches of rainfall within hours on Tuesday. Valencia, in particular, experienced its heaviest downpour in 28 years, according to AEMET, Spain’s state weather agency. Flooded highways left vehicles stranded, and some were even swept away by surging waters. Videos shared by rescue agencies depict streets submerged under murky floodwaters, people stranded on rooftops, and cars overturned by the deluge.
The flooding has disrupted transport, suspending train services between Madrid and Valencia, and led to school and public facility closures in Valencia. President of Castile-La Mancha’s regional government, Emiliano Garcia-Page, likened the scene to “a dam bursting,” noting, “It’s not a rain pour; it was like a dam burst.”
Reports indicate that 1,200 individuals remain trapped on Valencia’s highways, with an estimated 5,000 vehicles immobilized. Near rivers in towns such as Utiel and Paiporta, overflowing waters have swept through streets, carrying vehicles and debris along with them, as reported by CNN en Español.
The flooding is attributed to a weather pattern called the “cold drop,” a severe meteorological phenomenon responsible for extreme flooding across Valencia. Although it is unclear if climate change contributed, the event is described as the most severe flood in the region in the last century, according to AEMET.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has assured the public that the government will deploy all available resources to aid those affected, urging citizens to remain vigilant. He is expected to visit the impacted areas in Valencia on Thursday. Defense Minister Margarita Robles labeled the flood as an “unprecedented phenomenon” and confirmed the deployment of over 1,000 military personnel for rescue operations.
The Spanish government has declared three days of mourning, starting Thursday, to honor those who lost their lives in this devastating disaster.
