The death toll from the catastrophic floods in eastern Spain has climbed to 158, according to regional authorities and emergency services, as the country entered a three-day mourning period.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged residents to stay indoors amid warnings of more severe weather and storm alerts in northern regions. “Please, follow the advice of emergency services … Saving lives is the priority right now,” Sanchez emphasized on Thursday.

In the hardest-hit region of Valencia, officials confirmed 155 deaths, with three more reported in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. This disaster marks the deadliest flooding event in Spain’s modern history.

Authorities have not yet revealed the number of people still missing, but Defense Minister Margarita Robles warned that the death toll may rise, as some areas remain unreachable by rescue teams.

Nationwide, flags were lowered to half-mast, and a minute of silence was observed, as the floods devastated Valencia’s infrastructure, washing away bridges, roads, and railways, and submerging large areas of farmland.

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Survivors recounted how torrents of water surged through narrow streets, turning them into deadly traps and flooding the ground floors and garages of homes and apartment buildings.

In several towns, frustrated residents criticized the delayed mobile phone alerts, which were not sent until 8 pm on Tuesday—long after severe flooding had begun in some areas and hours after the national weather service, Aemet, had issued a red alert for extreme rainfall.

Laura Villaescusa, a resident of La Torre in Valencia, told Reuters, “Those people wouldn’t have died if they had been warned in time.”

Conservative opposition leaders have criticized the socialist-led federal government for acting too slowly in warning people to seek safety. However, the Interior Ministry clarified that responsibility for civil protection measures lies with regional authorities.

Carlos Mazon, the conservative regional president of Valencia, defended the handling of the crisis by his administration, stating that officials had "followed the standard protocol."

Spain’s national weather agency had warned both officials and the public on Sunday—two days before the disaster—via its website and social media, indicating a 70% likelihood of heavy rainfall. The agency subsequently issued its highest warning, a red alert, early on Tuesday.

On Thursday, emergency service workers, along with more than 1,200 troops, searched through thick layers of silt in mud-covered towns and villages, looking for survivors and clearing blocked roads. In areas still flooded, rescuers used helicopters to airlift people to safety.

"Our priority is to find the victims and the missing so we can help ease the suffering of their families," said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after visiting a rescue coordination center and meeting with regional officials and emergency services in Valencia.

"This storm front is still with us," Sanchez cautioned. "Stay home and follow the official recommendations, and you will help save lives."

Extreme rainfall linked to climate change 

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.

Utiel struggles to recover after deadly floods 

In the small town of Utiel, Valencia, where six people lost their lives in the floods, residents were grappling with the aftermath on Thursday, hauling waterlogged belongings from their homes and trying to clear out the thick mud.

Army personnel from the military emergencies unit led the cleanup efforts, operating pumps alongside Guardia Civil officers, firefighters, and civil protection teams.

In the worst-hit area, where the Magro River had overflowed and sent floodwaters rushing into homes, mud remained calf-deep in some spots, and the streets were scattered with wrecked cars and debris.

"I can't tell you what happened here," local resident Carmen Aleixandre told The Guardian. "I just don't have the words to describe it."

Utiel’s mayor, Ricardo Gabaldón, said the town was overwhelmed and urgently needed assistance from regional and national authorities. "Six people died and we’re mourning them, but hundreds could have died here," he said.

In some parts of Utiel, floodwaters reached as high as three meters, trapping residents inside their homes. The victims were primarily elderly or individuals with mobility challenges.

The mayor highlighted that water and shelter remained critical issues for many residents in Utiel, with some now left homeless. “There’s no power in some areas, and we’re having to limit water use,” he said. “Hundreds of people have lost everything – their homes and their businesses.”

This flood disaster marks Spain’s deadliest since 1973 when floods in the southeastern provinces of Granada, Murcia, and Almería claimed the lives of at least 150 people. In 1996, 87 people were killed after heavy rains struck a campsite in the Pyrenees.

Europe’s most devastating recent floods occurred in July 2021, resulting in 243 deaths across Germany, Belgium, Romania, Italy, and Austria.