Spain is suffering its worst flood disaster in decades, with at least 95 people dead and dozens more missing, after heavy rains swept across the eastern province of Valencia and beyond. .
Torrential rain on Tuesday caused flash floods that washed away bridges and buildings, forcing people to climb onto rooftops or cling to trees to survive.
President Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning as harsh conditions continued, limiting some rescue efforts.
The government said the death toll could rise as “many people are still missing”.
The death toll from the floods is the worst in the country since 1973, when at least 150 people were estimated to have died from floods in the southeast.
In a national address on Wednesday, President Sánchez called on the people to remain vigilant and pledged a full recovery, telling the victims: “The whole of Spain cries with you… we I will not abandon you.”
One of the first towns affected near Valencia, Chiva, reported a year’s worth of rain on Tuesday in just an eight-hour period, according to national weather agency Aemet.
As the Spanish army and rescue teams rushed to carry out rescues on Wednesday morning – including lifting people to safety from balconies and car roofs – survivors in Valencia recounted their horror. the horror of the flood on Tuesday evening.
The sudden rise in water turned the street into a river, leaving many drivers unaware.
Guillermo Serrano Pérez, 21, from Paiporta near Valencia, said water rushed down the highway “like a tsunami”, forcing him and his parents to abandon their car and climb onto a bridge to survive.
APAnother witness recounted scenes of motorists on the highway realizing a stream of water was heading towards them and forming a human chain to escape along the raised central reservation.
Patricia Rodriguez, 45, told El País newspaper: “Thank God no one slipped because if anyone had fallen, the current would have carried them away.”
One resident of La Torre told the BBC that some of his friends had lost their homes and that on Tuesday night he “saw cars floating on the water” and the tide “broke some walls”. .
Meanwhile, the mayor of Horno de Alcedo, a town just outside Valencia, told BBC Newshour that water levels had risen more than a meter in just a few minutes.
“The water flow was very fast – and we called the emergency services to start rescuing some people who were up to their necks in water,” said Consuelo Tarazon.
There are allegations in Spain that in many cases disaster relief agencies were too slow to issue warnings, meaning people were unable to take to the streets or seek higher ground.
The civil protection agency, which is deployed during national disasters, did not issue a warning until 8.15pm local time on Tuesday – but by then, Chiva and several other towns were already flooded. flooding for at least two hours.
The Valencia regional government was also forced to defend its decision to abolish the Valencia Emergency Unit, which was established by the previous government to deal with natural disasters such as floods and forest fires.
Spain deployed more than 1,000 soldiers to support rescue efforts on Wednesday, but many crews remained isolated from towns due to flooded roads and downed power and communications lines.
The head of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, said they had activated the Copernicus satellite system to help coordinate Spanish rescue teams. Other European neighbors also offered to send reinforcements.
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles earlier said flooding across the region was “an unprecedented phenomenon”.
The downpour eased in the country’s mid-east on Wednesday, but weather officials warned the rains were moving northeast to the Catalonia region. Weather warnings have also been issued in several other parts of the country, urging people to prepare for flooding and seek shelter.
There are many factors that contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere due to climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.
Weather researchers have identified the main cause of the intense rainfall as “gota fria” – a natural weather phenomenon that occurs in Spain in autumn and winter when cold air descends. warmer waters of the Mediterranean.
However, scientists told the BBC that rising global temperatures have caused clouds to carry more rain.
Dr Friederike Otto, from Imperial College London, who leads an international team of scientists trying to understand its role, said: “With every fraction of temperature a fossil fuel warms, the atmosphere The atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall events.” Warming plays a role in these types of events.
“There is no doubt that these downpours are exacerbated by climate change.”
The world has warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius since the industrial era began and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world make drastic cuts in emissions.
