Spain floods latest: British man among 95 dead in Valencia flooding as dozens still missing

A 71-year-old British man has been confirmed as one of the casualties of the flash floods.

President of the Andalusian government, Juanma Morena, said the man had died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga.

He added that he was suffering from hypothermia and died after suffering several cardiac arrests.

Even for an era of more extreme weather, this autumn has seemingly shifted into yet another gear, especially in a rain-weary Europe where massive and deadly flooding in Spain‘s Valencia region is the latest incarnation.

At least 95 people have been killed in flooding that sent cars piling up like flotsam on the beach, while an ocean away much of the United States bakes through a nearly rain-free October that has created a flash drought.

Scientists trying to explain what’s happening, especially with a spate of deadly European downpours, see two likely connections to human-caused climate change. One is that warmer air holds and then dumps more rain. The other is possible changes in the jet stream — the river of air above land that moves weather systems across the globe — that spawn extreme weather.

More here.

Spanish authorities fear the death toll will rise with other regions of Spain yet to report victims and search efforts continuing in hard-to-reach places.

“We are facing a very difficult situation,” minister of territory policies Angel Víctor Torres said.

“The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy.”

Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. Nothing, however, compared to the devastation over the last two days, which recalls floods in Germany and Belgium in 2021 in which 230 people were killed.

Rescue personnel and more than 1,100 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to affected areas. Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to coordinate rescue efforts.

It’s was confirmed on Wednesday by the Spanish government that there will be three days of mourning for the victims of the flash floods.

At least 95 people have died in the extreme weather, which hit the Valencia and Castilla La Mancha regions on Tuesday.

Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister responsible for territorial policy, told reporters that the three days of mourning will begin on Thursday.

Valencia in eastern Spain is one of the worst-hit provinces with at least 92 deaths recorded till last night.

“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldin, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. He said six residents perished and more are missing.

“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to 3m,” he said.

The flooding in Spain is the worst since 1973, when at least 150 people died. The 1957 storm dumped around 250 mm of rain, but this week’s had reports of more than 490 mm in just eight hours.

Portugese prime minister Luis Montenegro expressed his “greatest regret” following the devastating floods.

“The Portuguese government expresses its greatest regret at the high number of victims of the floods recorded in Spain, shows solidarity with all the Spanish people and the @desdelamoncloa [Government of Spain] and makes itself available for all necessary help,” he wrote in a post on X.

The severely damaged cars and the positions they were discovered on Wednesday morning reflect the power of the flooding in Valencia on Tuesday.

As residents start to clean up the damage, these images show the task they have ahead.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has promised those impacted that they will get the full support of the country as they look to rebuild their communities.

The intense rainfall caused by the recent dana storm in Spain has triggered a series of incidents that have kept residents on high alert since Tuesday.

Among the most striking scenes is the collapse of a bridge in a key area of Valencia.

The force of the water swept away the structure in the area of Picanya.

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez earlier delivered a speech following the deadly aftermath of the dana flooding.

He urged people across the country to be cautious and reassured those in affected areas by saying: “We won’t abandon you.”

In his televised address, Sanchez also committed to rebuilding the damaged infrastructure, adding: “For those still searching for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you.”