Flash floods claim scores of lives in Spain as rescue efforts intensify

Flash floods in Spain have washed away cars, turned roads into rivers, paralyzed entire communities and killed at least 51 people so far, officials announced Wednesday.

Emergency services in the eastern Valencia region confirmed the death toll from severe flooding caused by rainstorms that hit the south and east of the country on Tuesday.

However, the president of the Valencia region, Carlós Mazón, said it was “impossible” to determine the final death toll at this point.

How bad are the floods in Spain?

A high-speed train carrying nearly 300 passengers derailed near Malaga, but rail authorities reported no injuries. The incident affected high-speed train services between Valencia and Madrid, as well as several commuter lines.

Torrents of mud-colored water swept vehicles through the streets at alarming speeds, carrying debris and household items with them. Police and rescue teams used helicopters to evacuate people from their homes and cars. More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain's emergency relief units have been deployed to the most affected areas.

Footage shared on social media showed the chaos caused by the floods, which collapsed bridges and dragged cars through the streets. Other videos appear to show people clinging to trees to avoid being washed away.

A year's worth of precipitation in one day

The Spanish weather service reported that 491mm of rain fell in just eight hours in Chiva in the Valencia region on Tuesday – the equivalent of a whole year's worth of rain.

Radio and television stations have reportedly been flooded with hundreds of calls for help from people trapped in flooded areas or searching for missing relatives, while emergency services are struggling to reach certain regions.

Rescue workers are using drones to search for missing people in the hard-hit municipality of Letur, according to official Milagros Tolon, who spoke to Spanish public television TVE. “The priority is to find these people,” she said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on his official X account that he was following reports of missing people “with concern.”

He urged everyone affected to follow official advice, adding that people should “avoid unnecessary travel”.

How is the Spanish government responding to the floods?

The Spanish central government has set up a crisis committee to coordinate rescue operations. The National Weather Service warned that the storms are expected to continue through Thursday.

Spain's state weather agency AEMET has issued a red alert for the Valencia region and the second highest alert level for parts of Andalusia. The authority attributed the heavy rains in Valencia to a weather phenomenon known to DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).

DANA occurs when a pocket of colder air sits higher in the atmosphere, creating severe instability, while warm, moisture-laden air penetrates below. This interaction favors the formation of deeper storm clouds and leads to more intense rainfall.

Similar autumn storms have hit Spain in recent years, and the country is still recovering from a severe drought earlier this year. Scientists believe the increase in extreme weather events is likely linked to climate change.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press