Several bodies found as severe flash flood hits Spain
What's the story
Several bodies have been recovered after flash floods hit parts of southern and eastern Spain. The floods, caused by torrential rains on Tuesday, saw some areas receiving up to 12- inches of rain in hours. Valencia was among the hardest-hit areas, with mud-colored water flooding streets, demolishing walls, and sweeping away vehicles. Regional leader Carlos Mazon confirmed the grim discovery but didn't provide further details out of respect for the affected families.
Crisis management
Government response and weather warnings
In light of the crisis, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has set up a committee to monitor emergency responses. The committee comprises representatives from the Civil Guard, National Police, General Directorate of Civil Protection, and Military Emergency Unit. Spain's Meteorological Agency AEMET has issued extreme rain warnings for several areas including Valencia, predicting up to 200mm of rain in under 12 hours.
Weather impact
Record rainfall and transportation disruptions
In certain areas, rainfall forecasts were exceeded in even shorter periods of time. Chiva, east of Valencia, saw an unbelievable 320mm of rain in a little over four hours. This is way above the region's average October rainfall of 77mm. The extreme weather also affected Murcia and Malaga, both of which received over 100mm of rain. The flooding has severely disrupted transportation services with 12 flights diverted from Valencia airport and 10 others canceled due to storm damage.
Ongoing efforts
Rescue operations and climate change warnings
In Letur, Albacete province, a truck driver and six others went missing in the chaos. Drones are being deployed in rescue operations to find them. Scientists have warned that such extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent due to climate change. Overall, 51 people have died in Valencia region following flash floods, authorities said.