Horror in vacation resorts

More than 50 dead in flood disaster in Spain

The high water levels are causing enormous chaos and numerous tragedies in popular vacation regions.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Alberto Saiz)

After Italy and France have been hit by severe storms in recent weeks, Spain has now been hit with unbelievable force. More than 60 people have already died and the government is talking of an unprecedented disaster. The vacation regions of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia have been hit particularly hard.

At least 63 people have died in the Valencia region, reported the Spanish state broadcaster RTVE, citing the regional government. "The dead have been found, but out of respect for their families, we will not give any further details", the head of the regional government, Carlos Mazón, had previously announced. Several people are missing.

The head of the regional government in the particularly hard-hit Valencia, Carlos Mazón (50), spoke on Wednesday of an "unprecedented situation" in his province.

Almost 500 liters of rain in just eight hours
Rescue work continued in many places. The situation was particularly bad in the Mediterranean regions of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, which are very popular with holidaymakers. In many places, streets, houses and fields were flooded and cars and trees were swept away by the masses of water. In some places, such as Turis and Utiel, rainfall of up to 200 millimetres was measured.

According to UWZ, a station near Valencia recorded almost 500 millimetres of precipitation per square meter in just eight hours. This corresponds to about half a year's precipitation for the city of Klagenfurt - but in this enormously short period of time.

Worst "cold drop" of the century
The weather service Aemet in Valencia spoke of a "historic storm" in an initial assessment. It was the worst "cold drop" (gota fría) of this century in the Valencia region, wrote Aemet on X. This weather phenomenon occurs frequently in the Spanish Mediterranean region in the months of September and October, it is based on strongly fluctuating sea and air temperatures and occurs when the first Atlantic lows with cold, damp air push over the warm Mediterranean.

No easing in the skies yet
Mazón, called on residents to move to higher areas. In some areas, residents were trapped in their homes and made emergency calls on social media, as reported by the newspaper "El País". The rainy area, which has been widely reported for days, is expected to move on to the north-east today, Wednesday.

However, a severe weather warning is still in place for large parts of the country. According to the weather service Aemet, the situation across Spain will not ease completely until Thursday.

Roads turned into raging rivers
The Aemet weather service also reported hail and strong gusts of wind. Rivers burst their banks, streets, houses and fields were flooded in many places and cars and trees were swept away by the masses of water. Roads turned into raging rivers, and numerous highways and country roads had to be closed in the south and east of Spain. Air and rail traffic was also affected. Classes were canceled at many schools and universities.

Due to a landslide, a high-speed AVE train on its way from Málaga to Madrid came off the tracks near the municipality of Álora shortly after the start of the journey with 291 passengers on board. However, there were no injuries, according to the Spanish rail company Renfe.

Climate change floods vacation regions

Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of severe flooding in the Mediterranean region in the fall. Higher temperatures lead to greater evaporation of water from the Mediterranean, which enriches the atmosphere with additional moisture.

When these moist air masses meet cooler air, more extreme and longer-lasting rainfall occurs, which can lead to flooding in the already often rainy fall months.

In addition, more intense heatwaves in summer and changing wind patterns contribute to the displacement and intensification of storms, which further increases the risk of flooding and places a heavy burden on people, cities and agriculture.

Rescue teams cannot reach affected areas
Radio and television stations received hundreds of calls for help from citizens trapped in flooded areas or searching for loved ones. "If (the rescue services) have not arrived, it is not due to a lack of resources or a lack of readiness, but to an access problem," explained Mazón.

It is currently "absolutely impossible" to reach certain areas. The local rescue services have asked the UME, a military unit specializing in rescue operations, for support.

All-clear not expected until Thursday
The storm with heavy rain had already hit Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands on Monday. The situation there has since calmed down again, although some areas - including Mallorca - are still under a yellow storm warning. According to Aemet, the situation throughout Spain is not expected to ease completely until Thursday.