Floods like 'deluge' in Spain, at least 95 people died

(CLO) At least 95 people have died in what could be the deadliest flood in Spain's modern history, after heavy rains in Valencia created a "cataclysmic" flood that swept away cars, trees, bridges and houses.

Meteorologists said a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours in some parts of Valencia on Tuesday, causing traffic jams on highways and submerging farmland in the area.

Residents in the worst-hit areas described seeing people climbing on the roofs of cars as raging brown water swept through the streets, uprooting trees and washing away chunks of brick from buildings.

A swollen river causes a bridge to partially collapse in the town of Carlet, Valencia, Spain, on October 30, 2024. Photo: Reuters

"There was a river running through it," said Denis Hlavaty, who was waiting for rescue on a ledge at the gas station where he works in the regional capital. "The door was torn off and I had to spend the night there, surrounded by 2m deep water."

Defense Minister Margarita Robles told Cadena Ser radio that a military unit specializing in rescue operations would begin sifting through mud and rubble with sniffer dogs in the worst-hit areas on Thursday.

Asked if the death toll was likely to rise, she said: "Unfortunately, we are not optimistic." Teams have brought 50 mobile morgues with them. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on television: "All of Spain is crying with you."

Cars pile up after being swept away by floods in Valencia, Spain on October 30, 2024. Photo: AP

Helicopter footage from rescuers showed collapsed bridges and cars and trucks piled on top of each other on highways amid flooded fields outside the city of Valencia.

Trains to Madrid and Barcelona were cancelled due to flooding, and schools and other essential services were suspended in the worst-affected areas, officials said.

Spanish power company i-DE said around 150,000 customers in Valencia were without power. Authorities urged people to avoid all travel and follow official advice.

Some areas of Valencia, such as the towns of Turis, Chiva and Bunol, recorded more than 400mm of rain, prompting the state weather agency AEMET to issue a red alert on Tuesday. The alert level was downgraded to yellow on Wednesday as the rain eased.

Flooding inundates an industrial area in Sedavi, Valencia, Spain. Photo: Miguel Ángel Polo

Flooding has also hit other parts of the country, including Andalusia, and forecasters are warning of more bad weather as the storm moves northeast. "The floodwaters have swept away a lot of dogs, a lot of horses, they've swept everything away," said Antonio Carmona, a resident of Alora in Andalusia.

The death toll, which includes three in other regions, could be Europe's worst flood death toll since 2021, when at least 185 people died in Germany. It is Spain's worst flood in modern history, surpassing the 87 who died in a 1996 flood near the town of Biescas in the Pyrenees.

Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change. Meteorologists say the warming of the Mediterranean, which increases evaporation, plays a major role in making the torrential rains more severe.

"These types of events, which used to occur decades apart, are now happening more frequently and with greater destructive power," said Ernesto Rodriguez Camino, senior meteorologist at the Spanish Meteorological Society.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, Guardian, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/lu-lut-nhu-dai-hong-thuy-o-tay-ban-nha-it-nhat-95-nguoi-thiet-mang-post319225.html