Worst flood of the century kills 150 in Spain and leaves a trail of destruction

At least 150 people died in the most aggressive flooding to hit Spain in three decades, after torrential rain fell in the eastern region of Valencia, sweeping away bridges and buildings, local authorities said on Wednesday (30).

Considered the worst flood of the century, the death toll is expected to increase due to the large number of missing people, according to local authorities. Faced with the tragedy, the Spanish government decreed three days of mourning.

Meteorologists said a year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of Valencia on Tuesday, causing highway pileups and submerging farmland in a region that produces two-thirds of the citrus fruit grown in Spain, a top global exporter.

The rains, accompanied by strong winds and tornadoes, were caused by a meteorological phenomenon known as Isolated High Level Depression (Dana) that affected a large area of ​​the south and east of Spanish territory.

The phenomenon happens when cold air descends over the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. In some places, up to 445.4 liters of rain fell per square meter.

Spanish government president Pedro Sánchez led a crisis committee meeting to monitor the effects of the storm, while King Felipe VI held a video conference with the Military Emergency Unit to get updates on the situation.

The government assured the allocation of “all necessary resources” from Spain and the European Union for the reconstruction of the affected areas. Sánchez is also expected to visit Valencia on Thursday to monitor the operations. Next Tuesday, the Council of Ministers must approve the declaration of an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency — previously called a catastrophe zone — for the affected regions.

Footage taken by emergency services from a helicopter showed bridges that had collapsed and cars and trucks piled on top of each other on highways through flooded fields outside the city of Valencia.

Trains to the cities of Madrid and Barcelona were canceled due to the flooding, and schools and other essential services were suspended in the worst-hit areas, authorities said.

Energy company i-DE, owned by Europe’s biggest utility Iberdrola, said around 150,000 customers in Valencia had no electricity.

Emergency services in the region have asked citizens to avoid all road travel and follow official guidance more closely, and a military unit specializing in rescue operations has been sent to some places to help local emergency workers.