At least two people have died after torrential rain from Storm Adam triggered severe flooding across eastern Spain, with more than 800,000 people ordered to stay indoors.
Emergency teams have used helicopters to rescue residents trapped on rooftops as rivers overflowed and roads became impassable along the Mediterranean coast. The flooding has revived memories of the devastating disaster that struck Valencia two years ago, killing more than 230 people.
The bodies of two women were recovered over the weekend. One was found on a beach in Sagunto, Valencia, while the other had been swept away in Cabrera de Mar, near Barcelona.
Pego Mayor Enrique Moll told regional radio station A Punt that several residents were waiting to be evacuated by helicopter. He said blocked access roads had made rescue operations difficult, with heavy military vehicles unable to reach some areas.
Oliva Deputy Mayor Salvador Llopis told TVE that emergency teams were working to rescue people trapped by the floods, particularly elderly residents. In some locations, the water had risen to waist level.
“They have to stay on top of tables and furniture to avoid getting wet,” Llopis said, adding that the rain was beginning to ease after damaging local infrastructure.
Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, described conditions as “extremely adverse”, reporting that some areas had received more than 600 millimetres of rain within 48 hours. The rainfall was the highest recorded since 1987 in some locations.
Red weather alerts remained in place, with residents advised to avoid travelling and move to higher ground where necessary.
More than 100,000 students in Valencia were unable to attend classes as schools suspended activities because of the dangerous conditions. The central government also deployed emergency units from the military and national police to support rescue and response efforts.
Meteorologists have warned that human-driven climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.
Ojo Triumph
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