Storm Adam began to ease on Tuesday after leaving at least five people dead and causing severe flooding in eastern Spain, authorities said, in scenes reminiscent of the catastrophic flooding that killed more than 230 people in the Valencia region two years ago.
In the Valencia region, the Civil Guard evacuated more than 2,100 people and rescued almost 500 since the start of the storm, according to the latest update released by the force. The downpour, which started on Saturday, dumped as much as 700 litres of rain per square metre in 24 hours in some areas — in L’Atzúvia in Alicante province, 713 litres per square metre fell during the episode, while Pego registered 632 litres in 36 hours.
One of the worst-hit towns was Oliva in Valencia, where 600 litres of water per square metre fell in 24 hours. About 600 people sought assistance at the municipal centre, and 400 local residents spent the night there from Monday to Tuesday.
Rescues and evacuations
Helicopters rescued residents stranded on rooftops as torrential rains swept across eastern Spain on Monday. Members of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit found the body of a woman in Oliva during rescue operations, regional broadcaster A Punt reported. Two other women were confirmed dead over the weekend: one whose body washed up on a beach in Sagunto, and another who was swept away by floodwaters in Cabrera de Mar, near Barcelona.
Emergency operations have deployed more than 1,300 Civil Guard officers, with helicopters, boats and specialised units for water and mountain rescues. In Ibiza, the main airport suspended operations twice due to flooding, with 27 flights cancelled and 16 diverted after 60 litres of rainfall per square metre fell in an hour.
Sánchez visits Valencia
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Valencia on Tuesday to see the impact of the storm. Although the rain has lost intensity in the Valencia region and stay-at-home orders have been lifted, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) kept warnings in place in nine provinces on Tuesday, with particular attention to the rainfall forecast in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
Aemet described the rainfall as exceptional in the Valencian counties of La Safor and Marina Alta, where some of the largest rain accumulations in recent decades have been recorded.
