Flash flooding in Spain has swept away cars, turned streets into rivers, cut off entire communities and killed at least 51 people so far, officials announced on Wednesday.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed the death toll due to severe flooding caused by rainstorms that hit the south and east of the country on Tuesday.
However, president of the Valencia region, Carlós Mazón, stated that it was “impossible” to determine the final death toll at this stage.
Gregorio Marrero/AP
How Bad Is the Flooding in Spain?
A high-speed train carrying nearly 300 passengers derailed near Malaga, though rail authorities reported no injuries. The incident disrupted high-speed train services between Valencia and Madrid, along with several commuter lines.
Torrents of mud-colored water swept vehicles down streets at alarming speeds, carrying debris and household items in the current. Police and rescue teams used helicopters to airlift people from their homes and cars. More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were dispatched to the hardest-hit areas.
Footage shared on social media captured the chaos unleashed by the floodwaters, which toppled bridges and dragged cars down streets. Other videos appear to show people clinging to trees to avoid being swept away.
Gregorio Marrero/AP
One Year’s Rainfall in a Day
The Spanish Weather Service reported that Chiva, located in the Valencia region, received 491 mm of rain in just eight hours on Tuesday—equivalent to an entire year’s rainfall.
Radio and TV stations have reportedly been inundated with hundreds of calls for help from people trapped in flooded areas or searching for missing loved ones, while emergency services face challenges reaching certain regions.
Emergency workers are deploying drones to search for the missing in the severely affected municipality of Letur, according to official Milagros Tolon, who spoke to Spanish public television station TVE. “The priority is to find these people,” she said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on his official X account that he was following reports of missing people “with concern.”
Alberto Saiz/AP
He urged anyone affected to follow official advice, adding that people should “avoid unnecessary trips.”
How Is the Spanish Government Responding to the Floods?
Spain’s central government has established a crisis committee to coordinate rescue operations. The National Weather Service warned that storms are expected to persist through Thursday.
Spain’s state weather agency, AEMET, has issued a red alert for the Valencia region and a second-highest-level alert for parts of Andalusia. The agency attributed the severe rainfall in Valencia to a weather phenomenon known while DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).
DANA occurs when a pocket of colder air sits higher in the atmosphere, creating intense instability while warm, moisture-laden air moves in below it. This interaction fosters the formation of deeper storm clouds and leads to more intense rainstorms.
Similar autumn storms have struck Spain in recent years, and the country is still recovering from a severe drought earlier this year. Scientists suggest that the increase in extreme weather events is likely connected to climate change.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press