Authorities in the eastern region of Valencia reported on Wednesday that torrential rain on Tuesday submerged roads and towns, killing at least 62 people in the deadliest flooding in Spain in 30 years.
Television images from the town of Utiel showed that rescuers using dinghies worked in the dark to scour the floodwaters and rescue several people. Emergency services were still attempting to reach the most affected areas.
“For the people who right now are as yet searching for their friends and family, the entire of Spain sobs with you,” Top state leader Pedro Sanchez said in a broadcast address. ” The same is true for the towns and villages that this tragedy has decimated: He added, “We will rebuild your squares, bridges, and streets together.”
Some people remained isolated in inaccessible locations, according to Carlos Mazon, the regional leader of Valencia, one of Spain’s most important agricultural regions.
Mazon said at a press conference, “If have not arrived, it’s not due to a lack of means or predisposition, but a problem of access.” He also said that getting to some areas was “absolutely impossible.”
Overnight, a slew of videos circulated on social media appeared to show people attempting to escape the floodwaters by climbing trees. A bulldozer bucket was used by rescue workers to transport several women, according to footage.
In the town of Alzira, firefighters could be seen freeing motorists whose vehicles were stuck in flood-damaged streets.
According to officials, the flooding resulted in the cancellation of trains to Madrid and Barcelona, as well as the suspension of schools and other essential services in the most affected areas.
Deadliest floods in Spain since 1996 The death toll appeared to be the highest in Europe since at least 185 people died in Germany in 2021 from flooding. It is the worst flood-related disaster to hit Spain since the 87 deaths in 1996 near a town in the Pyrenees.
Following the floods that occurred on October 30 in Valencia, Spain, a man observes the high level of the Turia river. — According to AFP scientists, climate change is making it more common for Europe to experience extreme weather. Meteorologists believe that torrential rains are becoming more severe as a result of the Mediterranean’s warming, which increases water evaporation.
Ernesto Rodriguez Camino, a senior state meteorologist who is also a member of the Spanish Meteorological Association, stated, “Events of this type, which used to occur many decades apart, are now becoming more frequent and their destructive capacity is greater.” These events used to occur many decades apart.
A military unit that specialized in rescue operations was deployed in some locations to assist local emergency workers, and emergency services in the region urged citizens to avoid all road travel and to adhere to additional official recommendations.
On Tuesday, the state weather agency for Spain, AEMET, issued a red alert in Valencia, a major citrus-growing region. Some areas, like Turis and Utiel, received 200 millimeters of rain.
It stated that the rain had since stopped, but that Castellon, which is located in the north of the region, would continue to be under orange alert until 2 p.m. On Tuesday, ASAJA, one of the largest farmer associations in Spain, stated that it anticipated significant crop damage.
According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, a provider of trade data, Valencia accounts for approximately 60% of the country’s citrus production, and Spain is the largest exporter of fresh and dried oranges in the world.
