Over 200 dead after flooding sweeps across parts of Spain during historic rains
The mountain town of Chiva, west of Valencia, was drenched by 19.33 inches of rain in just eight hours, according to Spain’s government meteorological agency.
Aerial video shows widespread flooding devastation in Spain
Aerial footage released by the Spanish police reveals the extensive destruction in Valencia, eastern Spain, on Wednesday following torrential rain the previous day.
VALENCIA, Spain – A catastrophic flash flood has claimed over 200 lives in Spain's Valencia region following torrential and historic rains that left roads and towns underwater, according to authorities.
Cars are piled in the street with other debris after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024, in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain.
(David Ramos / Getty Images)
At least 202 lives have been lost with most reported in Valencia, according to the town's Emergency Coordination Center. The rise in the death toll marks the worst flooding disaster in Europe since 2021, when nearly 200 people perished, primarily in Germany.
The government conducted nearly 270 rescues on Wednesday – 70 via air evacuation and 200 ground rescues, Mazón said. Authorities also said there are no longer any urban areas that emergency services can't access.
WATCH: WOMAN, PETS RESCUED FROM RUSHING FLOODWATER IN SPAIN
Crews search for flood victims in devastated Spanish town
Footage posted by Guardia Civil Albacete shows ongoing search and rescue efforts in Letur, a town located in the Castile-La Mancha region, on Wednesday.
Since Monday, Valencia's emergency number – 112 – has received nearly 5,000 calls related to DANA, according to the Emergency Coordination Center.
WHAT MAKES A 'DANA' STORM LIKE THE ONE CAUSING DEADLY FLOODING IN SPAIN?
![VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 30: Men walk along train tracks covered debris after flash-flooding hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities said on Wednesday that at least 52 people had died in the Valencia region overnight after flash-flooding followed heavy rain. Spain's meteorological agency had issued its highest alert for the region due to extreme rainfall.]()
Image 1 of 16VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 30: Men walk along train tracks covered debris after flash-flooding hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities said on Wednesday that at least 52 people had died in the Valencia region overnight after flash-flooding followed heavy rain. Spain's meteorological agency had issued its highest alert for the region due to extreme rainfall. (David Ramos)
![UTIEL, SPAIN - OCTOBER 30: A man walks through a debris-covered street after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities said on Wednesday that at least 62 people had died in the Valencia region overnight after flash-flooding followed heavy rain. Spain's meteorological agency had issued its highest alert for the region due to extreme rainfall.]()
Image 2 of 16UTIEL, SPAIN - OCTOBER 30: A man walks through a debris-covered street after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities said on Wednesday that at least 62 people had died in the Valencia region overnight after flash-flooding followed heavy rain. Spain's meteorological agency had issued its highest alert for the region due to extreme rainfall. (Photo by David Ramos)
![Emergency workers carry an injured person after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain.]()
Image 3 of 16Emergency workers carry an injured person after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain. (Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
![Cars are piled in the street with other debris after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain.]()
Image 4 of 16Cars are piled in the street with other debris after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
![A man carries a dog after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain.]()
Image 5 of 16A man carries a dog after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain. (Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
![Emergency workers clear debris after heavy rains hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain.]()
Image 6 of 16Emergency workers clear debris after heavy rains hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain. (Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
![An emergency worker carries a child after flash-flooding hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Valencia, Spain.]()
Image 7 of 16An emergency worker carries a child after flash-flooding hit the region on October 30, 2024 in Valencia, Spain. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
![A man walks by cars piled up after flash flooding hit the region overnight on October 30, 2024 in Valencia, Spain.]()
Image 8 of 16A man walks by cars piled up after flash flooding hit the region overnight on October 30, 2024 in Valencia, Spain. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
![Residents embrace the morning after heavy rains and flash floods hit the area on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain.]()
Image 9 of 16Residents embrace the morning after heavy rains and flash floods hit the area on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain. (Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
![]()
Image 10 of 16A car covered with mud is pictured on a flooded street in Alora, near Malaga, on October 29, 2024, after a heavy rain hit southern Spain. (JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![A car covered with mud is pictured on a flooded street in Alora, near Malaga, on October 29, 2024, after a heavy rain hit southern Spain. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP) (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 11 of 16A car covered with mud is pictured on a flooded street in Alora, near Malaga, on October 29, 2024, after a heavy rain hit southern Spain. (JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![]()
Image 12 of 16Men run next to a car covered with mud on a flooded street in Alora, near Malaga, on October 29, 2024, after a heavy rain hit southern Spain. (JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![]()
Image 13 of 16Cars are partly submerged in flood waters on October 29, 2024 on the western outskirts of Valencia, Spain. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) ( )
![]()
Image 14 of 16Cars are partly submerged in flood waters on October 29, 2024 on the western outskirts of Valencia, Spain. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) ( )
![]()
Image 15 of 16Flood of the Magre river, on 29 October, 2024 in Alfarp, Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. (Jorge Gil/Europa Press via Getty Images) ( )
![]()
Image 16 of 16A man bails water, on 29 October, 2024 in Llombai, Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. (Jorge Gil/Europa Press via Getty Images) ( )
"Alongside the Queen, we want to express our condolences to all families that have lost loved ones," Spain's King Felipe VI said Wednesday at the Gando Spanish Air Force Base in Gran Canaria. "In some cases, they don’t know yet what has happened to their relatives."
The monarch said there was extensive damage to infrastructure and the personal belongings of so many people in the Valencia, Andalusia and Castilla la Mancha regions.
"There are still difficulties accessing some towns and locations," he said. "There isn’t yet complete information of the full extent of the damage and the number of possible victims."
As a potent storm system, known locally as a DANA storm, spun up the eastern coast of Spain from Monday into Tuesday, strong moisture-laden winds slammed into the mountains west of Valencia, dropping torrential rains for hours across the waterlogged European region.
Spain's weather agency, AEMET, issued a red alert for Valencia, a crucial citrus-producing region, as torrential rains drenched the area.
The video below, captured by Lucia Beamud in the town of La Torre, shows dozens of cars piled on top of one another or submerged in muddy waters. Beamud said the scene was "devastating, absolutely indescribable."
Cars piled up in Spanish town after flooding kills dozens
Dozens of cars were seen piled on top of one another or submerged in muddy waters after devastating floods struck Valencia region in eastern Spain on Wednesday.
The mountain town of Chiva, west of Valencia, was drenched by 19.33 inches of rain in just eight hours, according to AEMET. An incredible 13.55 inches of that fell in a mere four hours, with 6.5 inches pouring down in a single hour.
Water rushed down the mountainsides, quickly overwhelming rivers and towns with raging waters.
Watch: Stranded drivers rescued as deadly flooding hits Spain
Video recorded in Valencia, Spain, shows drivers being rescued from catastrophic and deadly flooding caused by torrential rain on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.
Government officials urged residents to seek higher ground and stay on the upper floors if possible. Video from Spain’s civil defense showed some water rescues conducted by helicopter.
According to the Spanish prison union Acaip-UGT, the storm created a challenging situation for 140 essential workers at the Picassent Penitentiary and the CIS Torre Espioca, which houses over 2,000 inmates. The employees have been on duty for more than 24 hours, trapped by road closures and blocked access.
Footage released by the Spanish Ministry of Defense shows rescue efforts, destroyed roads and flooded houses in Utiel, one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding.
"Evacuation work, the search for missing persons, and bilge removal are scheduled to continue today," the ministry wrote on X.
Javier Ballesteros, who captured the footage below in Utiel, said on national TV that the woman seen in the video "had a dog and cats" and that the situation was "critical" until they managed to get a helicopter to her.
"The woman was asking us to call emergency services, but the line was collapsed," Ballesteros said. "Water kept rising and was getting above her waist. She was holding a dog, but we know she had multiple cats that were possibly in those bags she was carrying."
Incredible video shows woman, pets rescued during deadly flooding in Spain
Aerial emergency teams rescued a woman in waist-deep flood waters, along with her dogs and cats in Valencia, Spain where flooding has claimed more than 50 lives.
Members of Spanish military emergency unit rescued an elderly couple in the devastated town of Letur, in Castille La Mancha region on Wednesday. Encarna Rivero, 88, and her husband Jose Tomas, 89, were assisted after being stranded at a neighbor's home in Albacete.
Watch: Elderly couple rescued in devastated town of Letur in eastern Spain following floods
Members of Spanish military emergency unit rescued an elderly couple in the devastated town of Letur, in Castille La Mancha region on Wednesday.
The severe weather also brought reports of tornadoes and large hail.