(article updated at 8:35 p.m. with the latest assessment from the authorities)
Streets transformed into torrents of mud, residents “trapped” and “frightened”: in the south-east of Spain, the deadly floods that occurred Tuesday evening and Wednesday night sowed chaos, putting a strain on test the emergency services, requested from all sides.
“We are cut off from all communication (…) The roads are all cut off, the bridges are cut, sometimes they have even disappeared”: resident of Ribarroja del Turia, in the suburbs of Valencia, José Manuel Rellán says he lived at night last a nightmare.
In the region, “some municipalities received 500 liters of water per square meter in just twelve hours. And the result is what you see,” this 49-year-old Spaniard lamented to AFP, pointing to the muddy water still visible in the streets of his town.
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In this town of 22,000 inhabitants bordering Valencia, the downpours that fell during the night caused the Turia river to burst its banks and trapped many residents, stuck in their cars or in their homes. Hundreds of employees had to spend the night in their company, unable to return home.
“I have a lot of friends who lost everything. Their house, their car, they lost everything… The factory where I work was destroyed. It’s difficult, because we don’t know what will happen now,” confides Mr. Rellán, his features drawn.
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Municipal councilor of this municipality, Esther Gómez recalls a night of stress and chaos, where the emergency services were put to the test. “In a few minutes, we went from a quiet place” to a situation of “total overflow,” says the elected official.
“People did what they could. The security services were overwhelmed, they were not able to reach all the affected places,” explains this fifty-year-old. Such a situation “has not happened for many years, we are afraid,” she insists.
Nearly 100 dead, more than 150,000 people without electricity
According to the authorities and a final report released at the end of the day, at least 95 people died due to bad weather, which destroyed numerous infrastructures, led to road cuts and the suspension of certain train lines. Nearly 155,000 people also remained without electricity on Wednesday.
In La Alcudia, a town of 13,000 inhabitants located 40 kilometers from Valencia, 150 liters of water per square meter fell in a few hours, causing the Magro river to rise from its bed, which took with it dozens of cars and several victims.
“The town is upside down,” he told public television. TVE a resident, Eva Sanz, recounting having been “very afraid” of the rising waters. “The river rose in three or four minutes, in a very short time. It completely changed the panorama.”
“Unfortunately, the weather situation meant that resources, emergency and rescue units were not able to physically reach the entire affected area,” José explained at a press conference. Miguel Basset, fire chief of the Valencia region.
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Three days of national mourning
“We rescued nearly 200 people last night, we welcomed these people into the fire stations, we provided them with shelter and equipment, but the situation is very complicated,” with people still “stranded” on roads, he added.
According to the central government, which declared three days of national mourning, a thousand soldiers were deployed in the region, alongside 1,500 police and gendarmes. With the priority mission of finding the many people still missing.
