In Spain, a massive amount of water swept away cars and turned several villages into raging rivers, while more than 300 people died as a result of the disaster.
The storms that hit the country on Tuesday and Wednesday resulted in widespread flooding across the eastern and southern portions of the country.
The water carried objects such as household items and vehicles at high velocities.
In addition to rescuing individuals from their homes, emergency services used rubber boats and helicopters to reach people stranded atop cars. The death toll in the Valencia region was confirmed on Wednesday.
In the neighboring province of Castilla La Mancha, two fatalities were reported. In the southern region of Andalusia, one death was reported. Ricardo Gabaldon, the mayor of Utiel, noted that six of his town’s residents had died, and several others were missing.
According to Gabaldon, he and his family were trapped by the flood, which was moving at a speed of around three meters per second. In response to the tragedy, Spain’s government announced a three-day mourning period beginning on Thursday. Prime Minister Pedro Sénchez expressed his condolences to the families of those who died and those who were missing.
Over a thousand soldiers and rescue personnel from Spain were deployed to the affected regions. The government established a crisis committee to oversee the rescue efforts. Spain’s state-run television network RTVE reported that some of the most vulnerable individuals were the elderly. In one instance, a couple was rescued from their home using a bulldozer.
Videos that were captured by residents showed the ground floor of their apartment buildings being covered in water, and streams bursting their banks. People were stunned by the images they saw, and they feared that the flood might have been holding bodies. According to the national weather service, the rainfall in Valencia was exceptional.
The city of Valencia is situated south of Barcelona and is known for its numerous attractions, such as its beaches and citrus orchards. It is also home to several small riverbeds and gorges that are often filled with water during heavy rainfalls.
Although Spain has experienced several autumn storms in the past, this was the worst that they have experienced in recent years. The devastating effects of the flood that occurred in the country are similar to those that occurred in Belgium and Germany in 2021. It is expected that the death toll will continue to rise.
According to ngel Torres, Spain’s minister for territory policies, the scale of the disaster is immense. Due to the country’s ongoing drought and high temperatures, the government has been unable to provide a precise number of people who are missing.
Climate scientists believe that the increasing frequency of extreme weather events is linked to the effects of global warming. The prolonged drought in the country has made it harder for the soil to absorb large volumes of water. These storms also produced a tornado and a hailstorm, which damaged greenhouses and car windows.
A train carrying almost 300 passengers derailed near Malaga. Although no one was injured, the incident caused severe disruption to the high-speed rail service between the cities of Madrid and Valencia. The transport ministry noted that it could take up four days to restore the service.
The regional president of Valencia noted that the storms and the resulting traffic conditions made it difficult to travel by road. He urged people to stay home. Hundreds of people were stranded at the airport of Valencia when many flights were canceled.
According to the regional president of Valencia, 30,000 calls were made to the emergency services due to the power outages and downed power lines.