OMM Newsroom
Authorities in Spain ordered residents in southern Valencia and northern Alicante to stay indoors on Monday as torrential rain caused widespread flooding, with two deaths reported and emergency rescues under way, according to Anadolu Agency.
The flooding was triggered by a weather system called Adam, a high-altitude depression that brought exceptionally heavy rain to Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
Some areas have recorded more than 700 litres of rain per square metre since Sunday, equivalent to 27.8 inches. The municipality of Forna reported 718 litres per square metre, or 28.3 inches, in just over 24 hours.
Emergency crews used boats to rescue people trapped in flooded homes in Oliva. Helicopters were sent to reach residents stranded on rooftops and in vehicles in northern Alicante.
Two women died in incidents linked to the storm. One died on Sunday night after entering the sea at a beach in Sagunt, Valencia.
On Sunday, emergency crews found the body of another woman in the sea near Barcelona, about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from where she disappeared on Saturday after being swept away by a flooded stream in Cabrera de Mar.
Flooding cuts off coastal towns
Juan Carlos Valderrama, Valencia’s regional emergency minister, said a powerful coastal storm was worsening the flooding. Waves reaching 4 metres (13 feet) were preventing swollen rivers from draining normally into the Mediterranean Sea, he said.
At least six towns along the coast between Gandia and Oliva were cut off by flooding, government representative Pilar Bernabe said.
In the Alicante town of Pego, Mayor Enrique Moll warned that residents were stranded and emergency crews could not reach some of the worst-affected areas.
“We have people on the rooftops of houses. We are witnessing horrifying scenes,” Moll told Spanish public broadcaster RNE.
He said conditions were particularly critical in areas with scattered residential properties, where neither the Military Emergency Unit nor firefighting crews could reach those trapped.
School and transport disruptions
School closures affected more than 100,000 students, including approximately 81,000 in Valencia province and 22,000 in Alicante.
The Interior Ministry reported 24 road closures across six provinces. Rail operator “Renfe” suspended two commuter train lines in Valencia and offered passengers free ticket changes and cancellations.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and remain on upper floors of buildings in affected areas.
Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet lifted its highest-level red rainfall warning for southern Valencia and northern Alicante at 10 am local time (0800 GMT) on Monday. Orange and yellow warnings remained in effect across large parts of Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
Authorities warned that the danger had not passed, as swollen rivers and continued rainfall posed further flooding risks.
