At least 62 dead in catastrophic Spain flash floods & fears dam may BURST as vids show Valencia roads turned into rapids
Date: 2024-10-30AT least 62 people are dead after catastrophic flash floods hit Spain, turning roads into rapids and stoking fears that a dam could burst.
Rescuers are desperately trying to find survivors after the torrential downpours left areas, including popular Brit holiday resorts, underwater.
The flooding caused havoc, running from the provinces of Malaga in the south to Valencia in the east.
Tragically, a baby was listed as one of the 62 confirmed dead by officials on Wednesday morning.
Dozens more are missing and feared dead after flood water which first hit around 1pm Tuesday caused rivers to burst their banks, entered homes, and swamped cars.
The President of the Valencia region Carlos Mazon said: “There are bodies and bodies continuing to appear in places we hadn’t been able to access before.”
In one small area on the outskirts of Valencia city, 40 people are either dead or missing, police sources have said.
Chiva, a town near Valencia, was pummelled by more than a year’s worth of rain in just eight hours.
Officials have said it is “Impossible” to put a definite number on the amount of people killed.
There are fears the Cirat-Vallat dam – in Castellon, north of Valencia, could burst with officials putting out a warning after they couldn’t open the gates.
The nearby town of Vila-real has activated its emergency protocol, ordering those with houses near the Mijares River to evacuate.
Videos shared by Spanish broadcasters showed floodwater rising into the lower levels of homes and even carrying cars through the street.
Over 1,000 soldiers have been deployed to the affected areas.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave an emergency briefing this morning saying: “Our thoughts go out to those whose homes and possessions have been devastated and whose lives have been covered in mud.
“We are united and we will rebuild your streets and your squares and bridges. Spain will be with you.”
He sent his condolences to those who lost loved ones in the flood but warned that the “devastating event” might not be over yet as forecasters predict more storms tomorrow.
DEVASTATION ON THE GROUND
In Massannassa, on Valencia’s outskirts, a man died after getting trapped in a lift as he made his way to a flooded underground car park beneath his apartment to check on his vehicle.
Around 600 people were trapped in the Bonaire mall, Valencia’s largest shopping centre last night, after ground-floor flooding.
Drivers posted videos showing the horrific conditions on the roads, with many abandoning their vehicles as the water rose.
A taxi driver called Paco was hit by a wall of water with “brutal” force while driving on the outskirts of Valencia city.
He said: “We were heading along a road leading to the CV-36 motorway and as we got to a roundabout before we reached it, we saw people warning us to turn round.
“We turned back but in a question of seconds a massive amount of water appeared.
“It was impossible to get out of the car. A torrent of water smashed my taxi against barriers at the side of the road and I couldn’t move.
“We spent three hours on top of the lorry trailer before the water levels started to descend and we could reach safety.â€
Emergency services workers backed by drones were looking through buildings as they sought to find trapped residents.
In some places, rescue services used helicopters to lift people from houses and cars to safety.
The entire province of Valencia – which has a resident population of nearly 5.5 million – were told they should avoid any travel yesterday evening with emergency mobile warnings.
Meanwhile, Letur’s mayor Sergio Marin described the situation as “catastrophic†as firefighters and police on the ground and in a helicopter searched for four people said to be “unaccounted for.â€
Marin told Spanish TV: “We couldn’t have predicted anything like this was going to happen. It’s a major catastrophe.”
Other locals haven’t been able to reach loved ones.
One woman told the Loli television programme that she hadn’t spoke to her 25-year-old son since 10pm last night.
She said: “He sent me a photo of water entering his car and everything flooded.
“I just want him to phone me or his dad or his girlfriend and say, ‘I’m okay.’ He’s only 25, he’s got his whole life ahead of him.”
Ricardo Gabaldn – mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia – told national broadcaster RTVE people in his town were “trapped like rats”.
He said: “Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets.
“The water was rising to three meters.”
Schools, sports events, and other public facilities like parks were all closed on Wednesday.
The adverse weather is amongst some of the most extreme the country has faced in recent years.
Flights were delayed and diverted from Valencia airport at first, with it eventually being closed late last night.
Elsewhere, in the Spanish city of AlmerÃa cars have been destroyed by giant golf ball-sized hailstones that fell from the sky as a violent storm passed over last night.
Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia said they were devastated by the flooding.
They said: “Strength, courage and all the necessary support for all those affected.
“Our warmest message and recognition to local and regional authorities and all emergency services, armed forces and state security forces and corps for the titanic work they have been doing from the very beginning.”
Why was Spain hit by flooding?
Spain was hit by flash floods after the east of the country was hit by a meteorological phenomena known as a ‘DANA’.
A DANA, or a ‘cold drop’ is technically a system where there is an isolated depression in the atmosphere is at high levels.
In layman’s terms, more warm and moist Mediterranean air than usual was sucked high into the atmosphere after a cold system hit the country from the south.
The easterly wind then pushed all those clouds and rain into eastern Spain.
Three to four months of rain fell in some places over the space of 24 hours.
The DANA system hit southern Spain as it arrived from Morocco yesterday and is now expected to head west over southern Portugal.
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