Spain's flood death toll rises to 205 as residents plead for help

The tragedy sparked a wave of local solidarity. Residents of communities like Paiporta – where at least 62 people died – and Catarroja have walked miles through sticky mud to Valencia to get supplies, passing neighbors from unaffected areas bringing water, essential products, shovels or brooms, to help remove the mud. The large number of people who came to help has prompted authorities to ask them not to go there as they block roads needed for emergency services.

In addition to the contributions of volunteers, associations such as the Red Cross and city councils distribute food.

And as authorities keep repeating this, more storms are expected. Spain's weather agency issued warnings of heavy rain in Tarragona, Catalonia, and part of the Balearic Islands.

Meanwhile, flood survivors and volunteers are engaged in the gargantuan task of clearing a pervasive layer of thick mud. The storm knocked out power and water service Tuesday evening, but about 85% of the 155,000 affected customers had power restored by Friday, the utility said in a statement.

“This is a catastrophe. There are many older people who do not have medication. There are children who have no food. We don't have milk, we don't have water. We have no access to anything,” a resident of Alfafar, one of the hardest-hit towns in southern Valencia, told state television channel TVE. “The first day no one came to warn us.”

Juan Ramón Adsuara, the mayor of Alfafar, said the aid was far from enough for residents who were in an “extreme situation.”