At least 51 people have died and dozens are missing after torrential rains triggered flash floods in southeastern Spain, officials reported. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities search for those unaccounted for amidst widespread chaos caused by heavy downpours and hailstorms.
The Valencia region has been particularly hard-hit, with its president, Carlós Mazón, acknowledging that the final death toll remains uncertain. “It’s impossible to put an exact number at this stage,” he said.
Dramatic footage shared on social media shows floodwaters sweeping away cars, collapsing bridges, and forcing residents to cling to trees to avoid being carried away. Chiva, a town in the Valencia region, recorded an astonishing 491mm of rainfall within eight hours on Tuesday, equivalent to an entire year’s average rainfall.
Radio and TV stations have received countless distress calls from people trapped in inundated areas or searching for missing family members, with emergency services struggling to access some regions. In Letur, one of the worst-hit municipalities, rescue teams are deploying drones to locate the missing, according to local official Milagros Tolon.
Residents in Valencia described being stranded overnight in vehicles, on rooftops, and on bridges, anxiously waiting for rescuers to arrive. The state weather agency, AEMET, issued a red alert for the Valencia region and placed parts of Andalusia under the second-highest level of alert.
Experts attribute the deluge to a weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which occurs when colder air at higher altitudes meets warm, moisture-laden air below, creating highly unstable conditions that result in severe storms and heavy rain.
The floods have severely disrupted transportation, with flights to Valencia being diverted or canceled, and all train services in the region suspended. Schools, sporting events, and parks in Valencia city remain closed.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his concern in a social media post and urged residents to heed the advice of authorities and avoid unnecessary travel.
