Spain floods latest: Deaths soar over 200 in Valencia amid fresh fears of flooding and new rain alert issued

A terrified Valencia flood victim has revealed the scale of the devastation after heavy floodwaters engulfed her home in a matter of minutes.

Alba Paredes Borja is from the Spanish town of Alfafar, one of the areas hardest hit by the deadly storm, where local authorities are calling for urgent help in receiving food, water and medical supplies.

“I’m terrified. Everything looks apocalyptic,” she told The Independent. The floods – known as the “cold drop” or DANA phenomena – have claimed 158 lives, including at least three people in the municipality, leaving the city in ruins and cut off from all communication.

Salma Ouaguira reports:

The tragedy is already Spain's worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and meteorologists say human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.

In 2021, at least 185 people died in heavy flooding in Germany. Prior to that, 209 people died in Romania in 1970 and floods in Portugal in 1967 killed nearly 500 people.

Research group Climate Central said in a report on Thursday that a low-pressure system behind Spain's floods had tapped into an "atmospheric river" carrying excess moisture from the unusually warm Tropical Atlantic.

According to its Climate Shift Index: Ocean, human-caused climate change has made these elevated sea surface temperatures at least 50 to 300 times more likely.

Rescue teams continue to search for those missing in the devastating flash floods in eastern Spain in what could become Europe’s worst storm-related disaster in over five decades.

The death toll from the extreme weather climbed to 158 on Thursday after a year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region two days before.

"There's a total of 158 people to which must be added dozens and dozens of missing," Angel Victor Torres, minister in charge of cooperation with Spain's regions, told a press conference.

Moments after rushing waters burst through the door to her home, Mari Carmen Pérez received a text message alert from regional Spanish authorities warning her of the possibility of flash floods.

By the time Pérez’s phone buzzed, the water has already gushed into her kitchen, living room and bathroom, forcing her and her family to flee upstairs.

“They didn’t have any idea of what was going on,” Pérez, a 56-year-old cleaner, said Thursday by phone from Barrio de la Torre in Valencia. “Everything is ruined. The people here, we have never seen anything like this.”

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As emergency services continue their desperate search for those still missing in Spain, many are questioning what caused the devastating flash flooding which has killed at least 158 people.

Dubbed “the flood of the century”, rainfall on Tuesday saw wide swathes of southern and eastern Spain completely destroyed by torrents of muddy water.

The region is known to be particularly vulnerable to torrential autumn downpours, caused by a weather phenomenon known as the “cold drop” or DANA.

However, the destructive weather system is believed to be worsening in the wake of climate change, accumulating in this week’s flash flooding being the worst the region has seen in three decades.

From weather phenomena to flood defences: here is what may have accelerated Spain’s deadly flash floods:

As of 31 October the UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) travel advice said that journeys may be affected due to severe weather and flooding affecting many areas of southern and eastern Spain, particularly in the Valencia region and Castilla La Mancha.

The FCDO advises checking the latest weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office before travelling and following the instructions from local authorities.

In terms of the Foreign Office’s general advice about travelling to a destination that has been impacted by flooding, they warn that the flood waters can cause devastation and loss of life. After a flood, they also warn that there is an increased risk of water-borne diseases and transport infrastructure can be severely impacted.

The European Meteorological Services advises to only travel if a journey is essential to the southern and northern coast of Castellón, as well as the northern interior of Castellón.

“Extreme or catastrophic damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas,” they wrote.

Weather warnings are in force across swathes of Spain as further storms approach on the heels of devastating flooding which has claimed at least 158 lives – making it the country’s worst natural disaster in living memory.

Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has warned that the devastation caused by flash flooding is “not finished” as he declared Valencia a “disaster zone” on Thursday. Urging residents to remain in their homes, he said: “Right now the most important thing is to safeguard as many lives as possible.”

Cities such as Valencia and Malaga were inundated this week after nearly a year’s worth of rain – close to half a metre – fell in just eight hours in some areas, leaving residents “trapped like rats” in homes and cars, as described by one desperate local mayor recalling the chaos.

Andy Gregory reports:

Spanish police have arrested 39 people for looting shops in the wake of flash flooding.

Thieves took advantage of the chaos sparked by the deadly flooding, with Spain’s national police sharing shocking images of a smashed jewellery store window alongside a large amount of goods taken by looters.

The death toll in eastern Spain has risen again, as emergency workers continue their desperate search for survivors.

At least 158 people have been killed by the flash flooding - a sharp increase in the 95 people confirmed dead this morning.

155 of those deaths were confirmed in the hardest-hit region of Valencia.