Spain's deadliest floods in decades leave 205 dead
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Rescue teams, supported by drones, sniffer dogs, and over 1,200 troops, are scouring flood-ravaged areas for dozens still missing.
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A woman rests as residents and volunteers clean up an area affected by floods in Paiporta, near Valencia, Spain, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Rescue efforts intensified Friday in Spain as the death toll from the nation's most catastrophic floods in a generation rose to 205, with emergency responders and volunteers racing against time to locate survivors.
Since torrential rains struck on Tuesday, the floods have swept vehicles away, collapsed bridges, and buried towns under layers of mud, leaving much of eastern Spain’s Valencia region devastated.
Rescue teams, supported by drones, sniffer dogs, and over 1,200 troops, are scouring flood-ravaged areas for dozens still missing.
Another 500 troops joined the search today, with an additional 500 set to arrive Saturday.
Despite these efforts, many isolated communities remain cut off, struggling without water, food, or electricity three days into the crisis.
Lets just pray for Valencia and Spain 🇪🇦 #Valencia #Flood #Catastrophic pic.twitter.com/2lhWJosaUe
— Miodrag 🇷🇸 (@MIL0SEVIC) October 30, 2024
Across Valencia, sports centers and schools have been converted to emergency food distribution sites, while fields and streets are littered with wreckage, including slabs of tarmac torn from roads.
Read more: When nature 'strikes back', the world floods
Tensions have also risen in flood-affected areas, with police reporting 50 arrests for looting as desperation mounts.
Government minister Angel Victor Torres pledged strict measures against theft, and officials have urged residents to avoid interfering with emergency vehicles.
Thousands of volunteers have mobilized to support cleanup and aid distribution, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez lauding the public's "limitless solidarity and dedication."
Pope Francis extended his condolences, expressing solidarity with Spain's flood victims.
Thousands of people walking to the worst affected areas with shovels and basic necessities to help out in Valencia. pic.twitter.com/uiVreWDzA2
— Francis Sweeney 🇮🇪🏳️🌈 (@caniculee) November 1, 2024
Seasonal storm
Meteorologists reported that some parts of Valencia experienced a year's worth of rain within just eight hours on Tuesday. Television footage showed heavy machinery, such as diggers and tractors equipped with water pumps, clearing streets littered with debris and abandoned vehicles.
The intense rainfall was linked to the "gota fría" or “cold drop” phenomenon, which occurs when cold air moves over the warm Mediterranean waters, creating atmospheric instability that causes warm, moisture-laden air to rise rapidly, resulting in heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Experts have pointed out that the climate crisis, driven by human activity, is increasing the duration, frequency, and severity of extreme weather events. The warming of the Mediterranean, which accelerates water evaporation, is playing a significant role in intensifying torrential rainfall, scientists have noted.
Valencia’s mayor, María José Catalá, confirmed that a police officer was among the eight bodies found drowned in a garage in La Torre. In the same neighborhood, she reported, a 45-year-old woman was also discovered dead in her home.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said around 80 kilometers (50 miles) of roads had been severely damaged or were impassable, with many blocked by abandoned vehicles, some of which, "unfortunately, had dead bodies inside." He added that it could take up to three weeks to restore the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Valencia.
King Felipe VI emphasized that the emergency "is still not over," as the national weather agency Aemet issued a red alert for Castellón province, along with amber alerts for Tarragona in Catalonia and Cádiz on the southwestern coast.
