Catastrophic floods in Valencia, Spain caused by historic rainfall claim over 150 lives, leave dozens missing
A powerful storm system hit eastern Spain this week, delivering more than a year’s worth of rain in just one day and causing historic flooding in Valencia on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The town of Chiva set a new 24-hour rainfall record, reporting 491 mm (19.33 inches) in just eight hours, while several other areas recorded rainfall totals between 100 mm (3.94 inches) and 200 mm (7.87 inches) on the same day.
- Extremely heavy rains caused catastrophic flash floods across Spain’s eastern region of Valencia, beginning on Monday, October 28, 2024.
- Parts of the region saw more than a year’s worth of rain in just one day, with parts of it submerged under 2 m (6.6 feet) of water.
- At least 155 people have died due to the floods, with many still unaccounted for, as of Thursday afternoon (LT), October 31
The storm system that triggered the rainfall originated on the eastern coast of Spain, beginning to impact the region on Monday, October 28, with moisture-laden winds that slammed into the mountains west of Valencia, bringing torrential rains from Monday through Tuesday.
As of noon LT on Wednesday, October 30, intense flooding has claimed at least 62 lives, and dozens remain unaccounted for, according to Carlós Mazón, president of the Valencia region. Mazón stated that it is currently impossible to determine the final death toll as the situation is still developing. Unfortunately, the number rose to at least 95 by the end of the day and to over 155 on Thursday.
A Red Alert was issued for Valencia and an Orange Alert for the Andalusia region.
The Spanish Weather Service (AEMET) reported that the area with the most rainfall in the Valencia region was affected by a weather phenomenon called Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos (DANA).
DANA occurs when a pool of colder air is present higher in the atmosphere. When warm, moisture-laden air moves in below it, the air becomes highly unstable, resulting in deeper storm clouds and more intense rainstorms.
As of Wednesday morning, October 30, the automatic station in the Jucar region had recorded 445.4 mm (17.53 inches) of rainfall. This is the highest recorded precipitation in 24 hours in Valencia since the cold drop of September 11, 1996, when 520 mm (20.47 inches) of accumulated rainfall was recorded in Tavernes de la Vall.
AEMET reported that the town of Chiva received 491 mm (19.33 inches) of rainfall in just eight hours, including 344 mm (13.55 inches) over four hours and 165 mm (6.5 inches) in one hour on Tuesday.
Ribera Alta recorded over 200 mm (7.87 inches) of accumulated rainfall on Tuesday, and several coastal and inland towns in Valencia exceeded 100 mm (3.94 inches).
More than 100 mm (3.94 inches) of rainfall was recorded across the region from Pinet to Pobla Llarga, Castelló, Alberic, Tous, Cortes de Pallás, and Dos Aguas within six hours on Tuesday. Over 150 mm (5.91 inches) of rain fell in Castelló (de la Ribera) and La Pobla Llarga, while Alberic and Tous approached similar figures.
The Barranc de Prada station recorded over 100 mm (3.94 inches) of rainfall in just one hour on Tuesday.
Intense flooding caused significant damage in the districts of Plana d’Utiel-Requena, Foia de Bunyol, Ribera, and several municipalities of Horta Sud. Several homes reportedly collapsed, and hundreds of cars were trapped by floodwaters throughout the affected region.
Floodwaters flowed down mountainsides, overwhelming rivers, and towns below. Spanish civil defense services conducted water rescues using helicopters and boats.
More than 1 000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas. A river passing through Alora overflowed due to heavy rains and flooded the surrounding regions.
A high-speed train carrying around 300 passengers derailed near Malaga, though authorities confirmed no injuries. High-speed train services between Valencia and Madrid, along with several commuter lines, experienced severe disruptions due to the floods.
All schools and sporting events in Valencia have been suspended for Wednesday, and parks have been closed. Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the floods.
A crisis committee has been established to coordinate rescue efforts in the affected regions. The rainfall subsided late on Wednesday morning, October 30, but AEMET has forecast more storms through Thursday, October 31.
A Yellow alert is in effect for most of Valencia and Andalusia with some regions including inland Catellon being on Orange alert until 14:00 local time (LT) on Wednesday.
References:
1 At least 51 dead in flash floods in Spain – BBC – October 30, 2024
2 Deadly flooding sweeps across parts of Spain during ‘historic’ rains – Fox Weather – October 29, 2-024
3 Dozens killed as heavy rains, flash floods slam Spain – France 24 – October 30, 2024
Featured image: Catastrophic flood in Valencia, Spain on October 29, 2024. Credit: Coco Exiliado
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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