Spain floods latest: Deaths soar over 200 in Valencia amid fresh fears of flooding and new rain alert issued
Death toll continues to rise after worst flash floods in three decades sweeps across Spanish region of Valencia
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Your support makes all the difference.The number of those killed in catastrophic flash flooding in Spain has soared to at least 205, as fresh weather warnings for rain prompt fears of further flooding.
The death toll rose significantly on Friday as rescue workers continued to search for missing people. 202 of those killed were in the hardest-hit region of Valencia alone.
Spain’s state weather agency, Aemet, has issued the most severe kind of weather alert in the south west of the country as the province of Huelva was hit by torrential rain.
Those impacted the worst by the flash flooding in eastern Spain are also expecting more rain, as yellow and amber weather warnings remain in place.
The country is in its second day of an official three-day national mourning, with flags at half-mast on official buildings.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez urged residents to stay at home as he warned devastation is “not finished” on Thursday and declared the worst impacted province of Valencia a “disaster zone”.
Human-driven climate change fuelling extreme weather
The tragedy is already Spain's worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and meteorologists say human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.
In 2021, at least 185 people died in heavy flooding in Germany. Prior to that, 209 people died in Romania in 1970 and floods in Portugal in 1967 killed nearly 500 people.
Research group Climate Central said in a report on Thursday that a low-pressure system behind Spain's floods had tapped into an "atmospheric river" carrying excess moisture from the unusually warm Tropical Atlantic.
According to its Climate Shift Index: Ocean, human-caused climate change has made these elevated sea surface temperatures at least 50 to 300 times more likely.
Rescue teams continue to search for ‘dozens and dozens' missing
Rescue teams continue to search for those missing in the devastating flash floods in eastern Spain in what could become Europe’s worst storm-related disaster in over five decades.
The death toll from the extreme weather climbed to 158 on Thursday after a year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region two days before.
"There's a total of 158 people to which must be added dozens and dozens of missing," Angel Victor Torres, minister in charge of cooperation with Spain's regions, told a press conference.
Flood survivors say regional Spanish officials waited too long to warn them of the danger
Moments after rushing waters burst through the door to her home, Mari Carmen Pérez received a text message alert from regional Spanish authorities warning her of the possibility of flash floods.
By the time Pérez’s phone buzzed, the water has already gushed into her kitchen, living room and bathroom, forcing her and her family to flee upstairs.
“They didn’t have any idea of what was going on,” Pérez, a 56-year-old cleaner, said Thursday by phone from Barrio de la Torre in Valencia. “Everything is ruined. The people here, we have never seen anything like this.”
Read more here:
Flood survivors say regional Spanish officials waited too long to warn them of the danger
Moments after rushing waters burst through the door to her home, Mari Carmen Pérez received a text message alert from regional Spanish authorities warning her of the possibility of flash floods
‘Cold drop’ and flood defences: What caused the devastating flash flooding in Spain?
As emergency services continue their desperate search for those still missing in Spain, many are questioning what caused the devastating flash flooding which has killed at least 158 people.
Dubbed “the flood of the century”, rainfall on Tuesday saw wide swathes of southern and eastern Spain completely destroyed by torrents of muddy water.
The region is known to be particularly vulnerable to torrential autumn downpours, caused by a weather phenomenon known as the “cold drop” or DANA.
However, the destructive weather system is believed to be worsening in the wake of climate change, accumulating in this week’s flash flooding being the worst the region has seen in three decades.
From weather phenomena to flood defences: here is what may have accelerated Spain’s deadly flash floods:
What caused the devastating flash flooding in Spain?
Spain’s meteorological agency, said Valencia had seen ‘the most adverse cold drop of the century’ prior to this week’s floods
Government advice on travel to Spain
As of 31 October the UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) travel advice said that journeys may be affected due to severe weather and flooding affecting many areas of southern and eastern Spain, particularly in the Valencia region and Castilla La Mancha.
The FCDO advises checking the latest weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office before travelling and following the instructions from local authorities.
In terms of the Foreign Office’s general advice about travelling to a destination that has been impacted by flooding, they warn that the flood waters can cause devastation and loss of life. After a flood, they also warn that there is an increased risk of water-borne diseases and transport infrastructure can be severely impacted.
The European Meteorological Services advises to only travel if a journey is essential to the southern and northern coast of Castellón, as well as the northern interior of Castellón.
“Extreme or catastrophic damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas,” they wrote.
Spain floods mapped: Where are weather alerts in force as death toll hits 158?
Weather warnings are in force across swathes of Spain as further storms approach on the heels of devastating flooding which has claimed at least 158 lives – making it the country’s worst natural disaster in living memory.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has warned that the devastation caused by flash flooding is “not finished” as he declared Valencia a “disaster zone” on Thursday. Urging residents to remain in their homes, he said: “Right now the most important thing is to safeguard as many lives as possible.”
Cities such as Valencia and Malaga were inundated this week after nearly a year’s worth of rain – close to half a metre – fell in just eight hours in some areas, leaving residents “trapped like rats” in homes and cars, as described by one desperate local mayor recalling the chaos.
Andy Gregory reports:
Spain floods mapped: Where are weather alerts in force as death toll hits 158?
New weather warnings issued in dozens of areas in Spain as prime minister warns devastation from flooding is ‘not finished’
Police arrest 39 for looting in wake of floods
Spanish police have arrested 39 people for looting shops in the wake of flash flooding.
Thieves took advantage of the chaos sparked by the deadly flooding, with Spain’s national police sharing shocking images of a smashed jewellery store window alongside a large amount of goods taken by looters.
Watch: 'Terrified' Valencia flood victim shows scale of devastation
Death toll rises again
The death toll in eastern Spain has risen again, as emergency workers continue their desperate search for survivors.
At least 158 people have been killed by the flash flooding - a sharp increase in the 95 people confirmed dead this morning.
155 of those deaths were confirmed in the hardest-hit region of Valencia.
‘I feel helpless,’ says woman searching for lost relative in Valencia floods
A woman is still searching for her lost relative amid the destroyed houses and flooded streets of Valencia.
As the waters recede, Marta Rodríguez Múria and her family hold onto hope that her cousin David can be rescued alive. The 32-year-old told The Independent: “The last we heard, he was driving to work.
“His car was found abandoned between Buñol and Chiva, but he’s vanished.”
Just moments before the storm struck, her cousin reached out to her aunt, calling for help as he was caught in the storm’s fury. They haven’t heard anything since.
She added: “We don’t know if he’s safe or if the water swept him away. My aunt is inconsolable. We’re all heartbroken, trapped in this nightmare.”
In Torrente, where she lives, people have been cut off from the outside world. Roads are destroyed, trains are canceled, and supermarkets are filled with panic buyers.
She added: “I’m left without food or water, and I can’t even pay for supplies because all the systems are down.
“We’re just waiting for a glimmer of news, something that tells us he’s safe. At this point, we just want to hear something—good or bad.”
Marta claimed people were not warned about the severe weather until it was “too late.”
She said: “I feel powerless. There should have been better warnings. People were sent to work as if there was no danger coming. The material damage is one thing, but many lives could have been spared.”
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