Flash floods in Spain Authorities reject criticism of late alerts +++ At least 95 dead in floods
Several people have died after heavy rainfall in large parts of Spain. More people are still missing. The situation is particularly bad in the popular tourist areas.
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- According to official figures, at least 70 people have died in severe flooding in the Spanish region of Valencia.
- Emergency services are also searching for several missing persons in other provinces in the south-east of the country.
- According to media reports, the storm warnings now apply to 10 of the country's 17 autonomous communities.
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8.12 a.m.
Authorities reject criticism that alerts were issued too late
Rescue and clean-up operations are continuing following the severe weather in Spain, which claimed at least 95 lives. A first phase has already been completed, said the head of government of the most affected region, Valencia, Carlos Mazón, on Thursday night. After around 70 aerial missions, all the people who had taken refuge on the roofs of houses had apparently been rescued.
The emergency services have now also been able to reach all the affected villages. The search for missing persons is also continuing. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to arrive in Valencia this morning.
Mazón also rejected criticism that the population had been warned too late about the masses of water. The first warnings had already been issued on Sunday. Those responsible had strictly adhered to the civil defense protocols.
With extremely heavy rainfall - in some places as much rain fell in one day as normally falls in a year - more and more rivers burst their banks on Tuesday. The weather service Aemet spoke of a "historic storm", the worst of its kind this century in the Valencia region, which is popular with holidaymakers.
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3 o'clock
Deadly flood: Spain searches for missing persons and culprits
The search for bodies, missing persons and people cut off from the outside world will continue in Spain during the night following the storm disaster that left at least 95 people dead. "However, due to the darkness, many activities will have to be interrupted until daybreak," said the head of the emergency department of the Spanish Red Cross, Iñigo Vila, to the state television station RTVE in the evening.
![A woman climbs over debris left behind by the floods in the municipality of Paiporta. (October 30, 2024)]()
A woman climbs over debris left behind by the floods in the municipality of Paiporta. (October 30, 2024) Image: Keystone/EPA/Manuel BruqueAt least four children and six elderly people in a nursing home are among the dead, according to Spanish media reports. It is feared that the number of victims will continue to rise. An official total number of missing persons was not available. Thousands of people in vehicles, houses and villages also needed help.
The situation is particularly bad in the Valencia region, where 92 of the 95 confirmed fatalities have been recovered so far. Other Mediterranean regions such as Andalusia, Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha have also been severely affected. The central government in Madrid declared three days of national mourning from Thursday. It also assured those affected of rapid help with reconstruction.
During the night, numerous highways and country roads were still impassable. Rail traffic was also severely disrupted. Around 115,000 households were without power, and there were still problems with cell phone connections.
Many thousands of people have also been trapped in trains, houses, offices, schools and shopping centers since Tuesday evening. Others sought shelter on the roofs of cars or houses. They were brought to safety on Wednesday by thousands of military, civilian, fire and police personnel, in some cases using helicopters and boats.
An RTVE reporter spoke of "war-like scenes" on a flooded street where destroyed vehicles lay partly piled on top of each other.
Image: Alberto Saiz/AP
It was a storm of the century.
Image: dpa
The heavy rainfall flooded countless streets, buildings and fields.
Image: Alberto Saiz/AP
The situation is particularly bad in the Valencia region, which is also very popular with holidaymakers, but other regions bordering the Mediterranean such as Andalusia and Murcia have also been badly affected.
Image: dpa
The so-called "cold drop" was responsible for the tragedy. This is a weather phenomenon that occurs particularly frequently in the Spanish Mediterranean region in the months of September and October.
Image: dpa
The masses of water swept the cars away like toys.
Image: Alberto Saiz/AP
"Spain weeps": Almost 100 dead in "storm of the century" - Gallery
An RTVE reporter spoke of "war-like scenes" on a flooded street where destroyed vehicles lay partly piled on top of each other.
Image: Alberto Saiz/AP
It was a storm of the century.
Image: dpa
The heavy rainfall flooded countless streets, buildings and fields.
Image: Alberto Saiz/AP
The situation is particularly bad in the Valencia region, which is also very popular with holidaymakers, but other regions bordering the Mediterranean such as Andalusia and Murcia have also been badly affected.
Image: dpa
The so-called "cold drop" was responsible for the tragedy. This is a weather phenomenon that occurs particularly frequently in the Spanish Mediterranean region in the months of September and October.
Image: dpa
The masses of water swept the cars away like toys.
Image: Alberto Saiz/AP
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1.30 a.m.
What caused the tragedy? Did warnings come too late?
With extremely heavy rainfall - in some places as much rain fell in one day as normally falls in a year - more and more rivers in Spain burst their banks on Tuesday. The weather service Aemet spoke of a "historic storm", the worst of its kind this century in the Valencia region.
Countless roads turned into torrents in a flash. Buildings and fields were flooded. Roads, houses and small bridges collapsed. Trees, containers, cars, trucks and people were swept away by the water like toys. Vehicles were pushed into each other and piled up into mountains of scrap metal.
Survivors reported harrowing experiences. A 57-year-old man told the newspaper "El País" that he had sought refuge in a construction trailer in Paiporta near the provincial capital of Valencia and from there tried to help several people in the water. "I held them by the hand, but the current was so brutal and so fast that we were separated and they were swept away by the tide."
Although the full extent of the tragedy is not yet known and the search and rescue work will continue for some time, a debate has already begun in Spain about possible culprits. The media and the internet have been discussing whether the authorities should have warned citizens earlier or better. Criticism to this effect has been voiced by several town hall leaders, for example. After all, we know that the "Dana" or "cold drop" weather phenomenon is dangerous. It occurs more frequently in the south and east of Spain at the beginning of autumn, when the first Atlantic lows with cold, damp air push over the warm Mediterranean.
The regional government and experts rejected the accusations. Such "brutal consequences" cannot be predicted because they depend on various factors, said the respected meteorologist Francisco Martín León to the Europa Press news agency. The weather service Aemet had provided sufficient and timely information with severe weather warnings of levels three (yellow), two (orange) and one (red).
The weather is expected to improve on Thursday. Severe weather warnings are still in place for parts of Andalusia and Extremadura in the west and for parts of Catalonia in the north-east of the country. The predicted rainfall is limited. Nevertheless, the disaster is far from over, as the authorities keep warning.
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Thursday, October 31, 2024, 0.03 a.m.
1200 people are still trapped in vehicles in Valencia
Around 1,200 people are stuck in their vehicles in Spain after the devastating storm, some of them for more than 24 hours. It is estimated that a total of around 5,000 vehicles are stuck on the A3 and A7 highways in the Valencia region, the Guardia Civil (Civil Guard) police unit announced in the evening. These were cars, buses and trucks, some of which had been abandoned by their drivers and passengers. However, there were also people who did not want to leave their vehicles.
According to preliminary official figures, at least 95 people died in the storm. The worst affected region was Valencia in the east of the country, where 92 bodies have been recovered so far. It was not initially known whether tourists or foreigners were among the victims. It is feared that the number of victims will continue to rise. Citing various authorities and affected parties, the media spoke of "dozens" of missing persons in the evening.
The weather service Aemet described the storm as "historic". It was the worst "cold drop" (gota fría) of this century in the Valencia region, it said on X. This weather phenomenon occurs frequently in the Spanish Mediterranean region in the months of September and October. It is based on strongly fluctuating sea and air temperatures and occurs when the first Atlantic lows with cold, damp air push over the warm Mediterranean.
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8 p.m.
At least 95 people now dead in floods in Spain
The death toll from flooding in Spain has risen to at least 95. Rescue services in the eastern Spanish region of Valencia confirmed on Wednesday that 92 people had died. Two more deaths were reported in the neighboring region of Castilla-La Mancha. There was one death in southern Andalusia.
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3.42 pm
Death toll from storms in Spain rises to more than 70
Following the violent storms in large parts of Spain, the death toll has risen to at least 72. According to the latest provisional figures, at least 70 people died in the Mediterranean region of Valencia alone, as reported by the Spanish state broadcaster RTVE and other media, citing the authorities.
Two more bodies were recovered in the neighboring region of Castilla-La Mancha. Dozens of people were reported missing. In many places, rescue teams were unable to reach the scene with vehicles due to flooded or otherwise blocked roads.
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2.18 pm
Masses of water pile up cars
In Alfafar in the province of Valencia, the masses of water have piled dozens of cars on top of each other in the narrow streets. Pictures on X show cars stacked one inside the other and blocking the entire road.
Some places in the province are completely cut off, Spanish media report. Rescue workers are also making little progress, with many emergency vehicles having been swept away by the floods.
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12.36 pm
"Historic storm": At least 63 fatalities in Spain
After the severe storms in large parts of Spain, the death toll continues to rise. According to provisional figures, at least 62 people died in the Mediterranean region of Valencia alone, as the Spanish state broadcaster RTVE reported, citing the authorities. According to media reports, an 88-year-old woman was also found dead in Cuenca in the Castilla-La Mancha region.
Dozens of people were reported missing. In many places, rescue teams were unable to reach the scene with vehicles due to flooded or otherwise blocked roads.
The weather service Aemet in Valencia spoke of a "historic storm" in an initial assessment. It was the worst "cold drop" (gota fría) of this century in the Valencia region, Aemet wrote on X. This weather phenomenon occurs frequently in the Spanish Mediterranean region in the months of September and October, it is based on strongly fluctuating sea and air temperatures and occurs when the first Atlantic lows with cold and humid air push over the warm Mediterranean.
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11.04 am
Video shows devastating storms
The severe storms have devastated large parts of Spain. In many places, streams have turned into raging rivers and numerous towns and roads are under water. At least 63 deaths have been counted so far, but the authorities expect this number to rise even further.
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11.02 a.m.
Rescue teams cannot reach all locations
After the severe storms in large parts of Spain, emergency services in the particularly hard-hit Mediterranean region of Valencia are struggling to reach the scenes of the disaster. Due to flooded or otherwise blocked roads, many operations can only be carried out by helicopter, said José Miguel Basset from the fire department in the province of Valencia to the Europapress news agency.
In the province of Valencia alone, which is part of the region of the same name, at least 51 people lost their lives according to an initial assessment by the civil defense. Dozens were also reported missing, according to the Spanish newspaper "El País". At least six people were also reported missing in the city of Albacete in the Castilla-La Mancha region further inland.
In the Valencia region, all public sector employees can stay at home today if they have problems getting to work, as Europapress reported. The container port in Valencia wrote on Platform X that it would remain closed until at least 14:00.
The rainy area, which has been widely reported for days, is expected to move on to the north-east today. However, a severe weather warning is still in place for large parts of the country. According to the weather service Aemet, the situation throughout Spain will not ease completely until Thursday.
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09.53 a.m.
Here, dozens of cars are swept into the flood waters
Videos on the X platform show how the flood sweeps everything away.
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09.51 a.m.
Heavy flooding in Spain - at least 51 people dead
Heavy rain has caused dangerous flooding in large parts of Spain and led to the deaths of several people. At least 51 people have died in the eastern autonomous community of Valencia, according to the authorities. Six people are still missing.
Several dozen people have died in floods following heavy rain in large parts of Spain. In the Mediterranean region of Valencia alone, at least 51 people have died, the Spanish news agency Europapress reported, citing the regional government. Dozens of people are still missing there, as the newspaper "El País" wrote.
Rescue teams are still in action in many places. The situation is particularly bad in the Mediterranean coastal regions of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, which are very popular with holidaymakers. Roads, houses and fields were flooded in many places and cars and trees were swept away by the masses of water. In some areas, residents were trapped in their homes and made emergency calls on social media, as reported by the newspaper "El País".
The Prime Minister of Valencia, Carlos Mazón, had called on residents to move to higher ground. People are also missing in the city of Albacete in the neighboring region of Castilla-La Mancha, at least six according to the media.
The rainy area, which has been widely reported for days, is expected to move on to the north-east today.
However, a severe weather warning is still in place for large parts of the country. According to the weather service Aemet, the situation across Spain will not ease completely until Thursday.
Hail as big as golf balls
In addition to heavy rainfall, there was also hail and strong gusts of wind. In the Andalusian coastal town of El Ejido, not far from Almería, where the hail had already hit particularly hard on Tuesday night, fields and hundreds of vehicles were severely damaged. "The hailstones were as big as golf balls," farmer Mercedes González (46) told the newspaper "El País". "It seemed like the end of the world."
In many places in the south and east of Spain, highways and country roads had to be closed. Air and rail traffic was also affected. Classes were canceled at numerous schools and universities. Due to a rock slide, a high-speed AVE train on its way from Málaga to Madrid came off the tracks near the municipality of Álora shortly after the start of the journey with 291 passengers on board. However, there were no injuries, according to the Spanish rail company Renfe.
Calm on the Balearic Islands
The storm with heavy rain had already hit Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands on Monday. In the meantime, the situation there has calmed down again, although some areas - including Mallorca - were still under a yellow storm warning.
In general, heavy rainfall has become more frequent and more intense in most places around the world due to climate change. The reason: the warmer it gets, the more moisture the atmosphere can absorb, which leads to higher rainfall. However, other human factors also play a role in flooding.
The situation throughout Spain is not expected to ease again until Thursday. (Current photo)
Image: dpa
Cars and trees were swept away like toys in the floods.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
In Álora, not far from Málaga, where these cars were also damaged, an express train came off the tracks.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
There was extensive damage.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
Cars were washed away in Alora near Malaga.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
The situation throughout Spain is not expected to ease again until Thursday. (Current photo)
Image: dpa
Cars and trees were swept away like toys in the floods.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
In Álora, not far from Málaga, where these cars were also damaged, an express train came off the tracks.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
There was extensive damage.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
Cars were washed away in Alora near Malaga.
Image: Gregorio Marrero/AP
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