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At least 95 people, including a 71-year-old British man, have died in the worst flooding in 30 years in southern and eastern Spain.
Authorities fear the death toll will rise as no casualties have yet been reported in other parts of Spain and searches continue in hard-to-reach places to find dozens of missing people.
“The fact that we cannot give the number of missing people shows the severity of the tragedy,” said Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres.
A British man died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Malaga’s Alhaurín de la Torre, Andalusian government President Juanma Morena said.
He said the man suffered from hypothermia and died after suffering multiple heart attacks.
In some areas, a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours, flooding cities such as Valencia and Malaga, leaving many people “trapped like rats” in their homes and cars due to rapidly rising floodwaters.
Police and rescue workers used helicopters to pull people out of their homes and cars as streets in dozens of towns, villages and cities quickly filled with muddy water.
Floods in Spain have dealt another serious blow in the autumn as extreme weather continues.
Despite the times of more extreme weather, this fall seems to have shifted into another gear. This is especially true in rain-weary Europe, the most recent of which was massive, deadly flooding in Spain’s Valencia region.
At least 95 people have died in floods that left cars piled up like flotsam on beaches, and most of the U.S. seas experienced a flash drought in October, when there was little rain.
Scientists trying to explain what’s happening with the heavy rains, especially in Europe, see two links to human-caused climate change. One is that warmer air holds in more rain. Another is that extreme weather can occur due to changes in the jet stream, a river of air over land that moves weather systems around the world.
Alicia Rahaman SarkarOctober 31, 2024 04:30
Spanish floods: Driver clings to car roof as water floods roads.
alex croftOctober 31, 2024 04:10
Spain’s death toll likely to increase
Spanish authorities fear the death toll will rise in other parts of the country, but reports of victims and searches in hard-to-reach places are still ongoing.
“We are facing a very difficult situation,” said Territorial Policy Minister Angel Víctor Torres.
“The fact that we cannot give an estimate of the number of missing people speaks to the seriousness of the tragedy.”
Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. But that is nothing compared to the devastation that has unfolded over the past two days, reminiscent of the 2021 floods that killed 230 people in Germany and Belgium.
More than 1,100 rescuers and soldiers from Spain’s emergency response forces have been deployed to the affected areas. Spain’s central government formed a crisis committee to coordinate rescue efforts.
Alicia Rahaman SarkarOctober 31, 2024 03:30
Spanish government declares three days of mourning
The Spanish government on Wednesday confirmed a three-day mourning period for victims of flash floods.
At least 95 people have died as extreme weather struck the Valencia and Castile-La Mancha regions on Tuesday.
Ángel Victor Torres, the minister responsible for territorial policy, told reporters that a three-day mourning period would begin on Thursday.
alex croftOctober 31, 2024 03:16
Valencia worst hit with 92 deaths
Valencia in eastern Spain is one of the worst-hit areas, with at least 92 people dead as of last night.
“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldin, mayor of Utiel in Valencia, told state broadcaster RTVE. He said six residents were killed and many more were missing.
“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash cans lined the streets. “The water was rising up to 3 meters,” he said.
Spain’s floods are the worst since 1973, when at least 150 people died. The 1957 storm brought about 250mm of rain, but this week more than 490mm was reported to have fallen in just eight hours.
Alicia Rahaman SarkarOctober 31, 2024 03:07
Portugal expresses ‘greatest regret’
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro expressed his “deepest regret” over the devastating flooding.
“The Government of Portugal expresses its deepest regret for the large number of flood victims recorded in Spain and shows solidarity with all Spanish people and @desdelamoncloa. [Government of Spain] You can get all the help you need,” he posted on X.
alex croftOctober 31, 2024 02:31
Floods leave marks of carnage on Valencia roads
The severely damaged vehicle and the location in which it was found on Wednesday morning reflect the force of the flooding that occurred in Valencia on Tuesday.
As residents begin to repair the damage, this image shows what lies ahead for them.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promised that those affected would receive full support from the state to rebuild their communities.
alex croftOctober 31, 2024 01:42
WATCH: The Moment A Bridge Collapses Due To Strong Floods
The recent heavy rain from Storm Dana in Spain has led to a series of events that have had residents on high alert since Tuesday.
One of the most striking scenes is the collapse of a bridge in a major part of Valencia.
The force of the water swept away structures in the Picanya area.
alex croftOctober 31, 2024 00:50
‘The entire nation mourns with you’ – PM
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke ahead of the deadly aftermath of the Dana floods.
He urged people across the country to be careful and reassured people in affected areas, saying, “We will not abandon you.”
In a televised address, Sánchez pledged to rebuild damaged infrastructure, adding, “All of Spain cries with you, for those who are still looking for their loved ones.”
alex croftOctober 31, 2024 00:00
Scientists warn of more flash floods
A prominent scientist has warned that similar floods will happen again and people need to understand the risks.
“We will see more of these flash floods in the future. It contains traces of climate change, terrible rainfall and devastating floods,” said Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading.
She said even early warnings of heavy rains based on reliable forecasts did little to prevent deaths and people needed to understand the real risks.
“It’s not enough to tell people that it’s going to rain quite heavily. You could see people driving at risk because of the flooding, and there was so much water that it overwhelmed this place.”
Experts say it will take time to analyze all the data to determine whether this particular dharna was caused by climate change, but most believe that increasing temperatures in the Mediterranean and warmer, wetter atmospheric conditions are causing more frequent extreme events. I agree to contribute.
Jane DaltonOctober 30, 2024 23:00
