Dozens killed in southeastern Spain as flash floods sweep away walls and cars

CNN
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At least 62 people have died in floods in southeastern Spain, Valencia’s regional government said on Wednesday, with many unable to reach safety as heavy rain inundated buildings and rendered highways impassable.

Parts of southern and eastern Spain received up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours on Tuesday, in what marked the worst rainfall in Valencia for 28 years, according to state weather agency AEMET.

AEMET reports that the “cold drop” that caused the floods is the worst Valencia has experienced this century, but adds that it is too early to say whether climate change is to blame. The term “cold drop” refers to a pool of cooler air high in the atmosphere that can separate from the jet stream, causing it to move slowly and often lead to heavy precipitation events. The phenomenon is most common in autumn.

Footage from the city of Valencia showed muddy water flowing through streets, tearing down walls and sweeping away parked cars.

In towns close to rivers like Utiel or Paiporta, water spilled onto the streets, CNN en Español reported. Vans, cars and trash cans were swept away by currents that in some cases reached the first floors of buildings.

The sheer amount of rain that fell meant that many were caught off guard and people found themselves trapped in their basements or first floor and unable to get to safety.

The region was thrown into a state of chaos, with most highways rendered completely unusable on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Vehicles that had been left behind in traffic were picked up from the water and moved around.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that his government would use all necessary means to help flood victims as he asked people to be vigilant. He will visit Valencia on Thursday.

Valencia regional head Carlos Mazón told reporters earlier Wednesday that some bodies were found as rescue teams began to reach areas previously cut off by the floods, adding: “Out of respect for the families, we will not give more details.”

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles described the flooding as an “unprecedented phenomenon,” CNN en Español reported. Robles said more than 1,000 members of the military had been deployed to help with rescue efforts.

The Spanish government has decreed three days of official mourning for the victims of the flood from Thursday.

Mazón also urged residents of the provinces of Valencia and Castellón to avoid traveling by road.

Residents on Wednesday faced a huge clean-up and search for bodies as well as the threat of more rain.

A local resident from one of the affected towns, Antonio Carmona, described to CNN what happened when the floods hit. “When we stopped by here, we saw everything going down. (The water) took cars, it took half of one of our neighbors’ houses down.”

Pointing to his torn clothes, Carmona said he and others had rescued dogs trapped in the flood.

A woman named Beatriz Garrote was driving home from work in the city of Torrent in Valencia on Tuesday evening when, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, she found herself trapped on a section of the ring road by rising water for several hours.

“I passed the first exit, which was to Paiporta, but it was closed because they told us the town was flooded there and we couldn’t leave,” she said, El Pais reported. She said her car then got stuck, “and suddenly the two lanes closest to the exit started to flood.”

She described feeling “very scared” as the water level rose rapidly. “I didn’t know where it came from or what was happening. The water started to rise very quickly.

“After 10 minutes it was halfway up the car’s wheels. One of the volunteers told us to turn the cars around, but there was no way out.”

The Valencia area averages 77 millimeters (3.03 in) of rain throughout the month of October.

Chiva, just east of Valencia, received 320 millimeters (12.6 inches) of rain in just over four hours, according to European Severe Weather Database.

Flooding was also reported in and around the cities of Murcia and Malaga, with more than 100 millimeters (4 in) of rain falling in some areas.

The man-made climate crisis is making extreme weather more frequent and more severe, scientists say.

As the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution, the most intense rain events are becoming heavier and more frequent. Warmer oceans fuel stronger storms, and a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, which it wrings out in the form of torrential downpours.

Rainfall warnings continue through Wednesday for parts of eastern and southern Spain, according to Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, with the threat of heavy rain expected to continue into the end of the week.

CNN’s Antoinette Radford, Vasco Cotovio, Laura Paddison and Brandon Miller contributed to this report.

This is a development story and has been updated.