Spain faced one of the worst natural disasters in recent history last week. More than 200 people have lost their lives following floods that have hit the east of the country in recent days. The Barcelona region was also affected this Monday, while the weather situation is improving today. If the main event, DANA, is over, a few storms are still possible until Thursday.
An exceptional large-scale configuration
The floods in Spain were caused by an exceptional weather pattern. A cold drop (DANA in Spanish) became isolated on the Iberian Peninsula, trapped between two high pressure zones, one extending from the British Isles to the Azores, the other present over North Africa. This blockage prevented the cold drop from moving, thus maintaining stormy conditions over the region from Andalusia to the Costa Brava for more than 48 hours.
On Tuesday, October 29, the situation reached its climax when the province of Valencia was hit by a stationary V-shaped storm, a particularly intense convective phenomenon that replenishes its own precipitation. Between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., this storm developed over the region, leaving behind accumulations reaching 491 mm in Chiva, the equivalent of nine months of rain for a city like Paris.
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The V-shaped storm, visible on satellite images thanks to its characteristic shape, remained stationary for several hours, favoring flash floods in the watershed west of Valencia. Rivers swelled quickly, flooding downstream neighborhoods of the city. In Letur, torrential rains also led to flash floods, with accumulations of almost 200 mm.
A dramatic human and material toll
With a death toll exceeding 200, these floods have become one of the deadliest disasters Spain has ever experienced. Rescue operations continued for several days, mobilizing emergency services and the army to help those affected. Hundreds of people were evacuated, and roads turned into torrents of mud, sweeping away everything from cars to infrastructure.
The center of Barcelona was also hit by violent thunderstorms on Monday, causing localized flooding and making traffic very difficult. The damage is considerable throughout the Valencia region, with thousands of homes without electricity and material damage amounting to millions of euros. Searches are still underway to try to find survivors, sometimes trapped in underground parking lots that are still flooded.
Slow improvement underway
Currently, the weather conditions have improved significantly and the main event is over since the cold drop that caused the disaster has filled. However, thunderstorms remain possible in the region and across the entire Spanish east coast until Thursday, which could further disrupt clean-up and reconstruction efforts. The authorities continue to recommend caution and call on residents to remain vigilant against the risk of further downpours.
Anticyclonic situation © LCM
Residents of the most affected areas are gradually starting to return to their homes, trying to save what can still be saved. The results of this disaster recall the urgency of strengthening prevention and warning systems in Spain, in the face of increasingly extreme climatic events in the context of global climate change.
