Spain floods latest: British man among 95 dead in Valencia flooding as dozens still missing
The death toll continues to rise after the worst flash floods in three decades swept the eastern Spanish region of Valencia
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At least 95 people, including a 71-year-old British man, have died in southern and eastern Spain following the deadliest flash flooding in the country for three decades.
Authorities fear the death will rise as other regions of Spain were yet to report victims and search efforts continued in hard-to-reach places to find dozens of missing people.
“The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy,” said minister of territory policies Angel Victor Torres.
A British man died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga, according to the president of the Andalusian government, Juanma Morena.
He said the man had been suffering from hypothermia and died after suffering several cardiac arrests.
As torrential rain – amounting to a year’s worth in just eight hours in some areas – inundated cities such as Valencia and Malaga, many found themselves "trapped like rats" in their homes and cars, surrounded by rapidly rising floodwaters.
Police and rescuers used helicopters to lift people from their homes and cars as mud-coloured water quickly filled streets in dozens of villages, towns and cities.
Spain’s flooding another nasty hit in a fall where climate extremes just keep coming
Even for an era of more extreme weather, this autumn has seemingly shifted into yet another gear, especially in a rain-weary Europe where massive and deadly flooding in Spain‘s Valencia region is the latest incarnation.
At least 95 people have been killed in flooding that sent cars piling up like flotsam on the beach, while an ocean away much of the United States bakes through a nearly rain-free October that has created a flash drought.
Scientists trying to explain what’s happening, especially with a spate of deadly European downpours, see two likely connections to human-caused climate change. One is that warmer air holds and then dumps more rain. The other is possible changes in the jet stream — the river of air above land that moves weather systems across the globe — that spawn extreme weather.
More here.
Spain's horrific flooding another nasty hit in a fall where climate extremes just keep coming
The deadly flooding in Valencia Spain is just the latest in a spate of climate extremes that seem to have shifted into overdrive, especially in rain-weary Europe
Spain floods: Driver clings to car roof as water surges through roads
Death toll expected to rise in Spain
Spanish authorities fear the death toll will rise with other regions of Spain yet to report victims and search efforts continuing in hard-to-reach places.
“We are facing a very difficult situation,” minister of territory policies Angel Víctor Torres said.
“The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy.”
Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. Nothing, however, compared to the devastation over the last two days, which recalls floods in Germany and Belgium in 2021 in which 230 people were killed.
Rescue personnel and more than 1,100 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to affected areas. Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to coordinate rescue efforts.
Spanish government declares three days of mourning
It’s was confirmed on Wednesday by the Spanish government that there will be three days of mourning for the victims of the flash floods.
At least 95 people have died in the extreme weather, which hit the Valencia and Castilla La Mancha regions on Tuesday.
Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister responsible for territorial policy, told reporters that the three days of mourning will begin on Thursday.
Valencia worst hit with 92 recorded deaths
Valencia in eastern Spain is one of the worst-hit provinces with at least 92 deaths recorded till last night.
“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldin, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. He said six residents perished and more are missing.
“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to 3m,” he said.
The flooding in Spain is the worst since 1973, when at least 150 people died. The 1957 storm dumped around 250 mm of rain, but this week’s had reports of more than 490 mm in just eight hours.
Portugal expresses ‘greatest regret'
Portugese prime minister Luis Montenegro expressed his “greatest regret” following the devastating floods.
“The Portuguese government expresses its greatest regret at the high number of victims of the floods recorded in Spain, shows solidarity with all the Spanish people and the @desdelamoncloa [Government of Spain] and makes itself available for all necessary help,” he wrote in a post on X.
Flood leaves a trail of carnage along roads in Valencia
The severely damaged cars and the positions they were discovered on Wednesday morning reflect the power of the flooding in Valencia on Tuesday.
As residents start to clean up the damage, these images show the task they have ahead.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has promised those impacted that they will get the full support of the country as they look to rebuild their communities.
Watch: Moment bridge falls apart due to strong floods
The intense rainfall caused by the recent dana storm in Spain has triggered a series of incidents that have kept residents on high alert since Tuesday.
Among the most striking scenes is the collapse of a bridge in a key area of Valencia.
The force of the water swept away the structure in the area of Picanya.
‘The entire nation mourns with you’ - PM
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez earlier delivered a speech following the deadly aftermath of the dana flooding.
He urged people across the country to be cautious and reassured those in affected areas by saying: “We won’t abandon you.”
In his televised address, Sanchez also committed to rebuilding the damaged infrastructure, adding: “For those still searching for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you.”
Scientist warns of more flash flooding
A leading scientist has warned similar flooding will happen again and that people need to understand the risks.
“We’re going to see more of these flash floods in the future. This has the fingerprints of climate change on it, these terribly heavy rainfalls, and these devastating floods,” said Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading.
She said even early warnings of heavy rain based on reliable forecasts did little to prevent the fatalities and people needed to understand the real danger.
“Just telling people that it’s going to rain quite a lot, it’s not good enough...We could see that people were putting themselves at risk driving in floodwaters, and there was just so much water that it has overwhelmed these places.”
Experts say it will take time to analyse all the data to determine if this particular Dana was caused by climate change, but most agree that an increase in temperature of the Mediterranean and warmer and more humid atmospheric conditions contribute to producing more frequent extreme episodes.
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