The ex-tropical storm lashing eastern Spain has already caused widespread disruption, triggering a red weather alert for torrential rain in Valencia and parts of Catalonia.
Ravines have overflowed, power cuts have struck towns in Tarragona, and schools in both Valencia and Catalonia were forced to suspend classes on Tuesday.
The downpours are raising fears of a repeat of last year’s deadly DANA in Valencia, which claimed over 220 lives.
David Fraile, 41, from the small town of Cheste, was among the worst hit last year, but told the Spanish Eye today that he does not think a repeat is due.
‘It is definitely raining a lot but it is not as intense as last year,’ he said, ‘there doesn’t seem to be a real danger here yet.’
Rescues from submerged cars
In Castellon, firefighters had to pull a driver from a car trapped in floodwaters in the town of Sant Jordi. The provincial fire consortium said the vehicle had become stranded in a rising torrent.
A similar scene unfolded further north in Zaragoza, where crews assisted several people stuck in their cars as flash floods hit.
Firefighters also responded to a gas leak in Botorrita, caused by the deluge, though it was later brought under control.
‘Extreme risk to life’
The red alert – the highest warning level issued by Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET – signals an ‘extreme risk to life’ from the violent rains sweeping across the eastern seaboard.
Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and never attempt to drive through flooded roads.
With forecasters warning of more heavy downpours in the coming hours, officials fear the storm could bring yet further chaos to Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
Andalucia spared the worst
While the Mediterranean coast has borne the brunt of the storm, Andalucía has been largely spared from the extreme downpours.
Málaga, Granada and Almería saw scattered showers and blustery conditions but avoided the torrential rainfall that triggered rescues further north. Officials in Sevilla and Cádiz also reported no major incidents, though emergency services remain on standby in case the storm track shifts westward.
Locals along the Costa del Sol have been warned to remain cautious, with yellow alerts for rain and coastal swell, but the feared flooding has not materialised.
