Two Dead as Flash Floods Submerge Spanish Tourist Region
A 'mini-hurricane' has brought devastating floods to Spain's Catalonia region, causing at least two deaths and widespread disruption.
Two people have died in Spain after a 'mini-hurricane' caused severe floods and torrential rain to hit the Catalonia region, a popular tourist destination. Emergency services are continuing to search for a missing person.
A man was confirmed dead in Tordera after a wall collapsed, while another fatality occurred in Montornès del Vallès, according to Catalan leader Salvador Illa and fire services.
Authorities had issued a red alert, warning of potential 'mini-hurricane' conditions and urging residents to stay indoors. Homes and vehicles were submerged in areas like Bellvitge and Cornella, near Barcelona, where streets turned into rivers and cars were swept away by the deluge. The Besòs river in Sant Adrià de Besòs rose rapidly, carrying debris downstream.
Further north, a deep stream of water gushed down a residential street in Pineda de Mar overnight. Elsewhere, a playground in Sant Adrià de Besòs was flooded.
Flights were canceled or delayed at Barcelona Airport, local trains were disrupted, shops closed early, and a performance at the Liceu opera house was called off.
This follows a separate incident on Friday evening, when a 102-year-old woman died in flash floods in Madrigueras, about 120 miles northwest of Alicante. In that event, approximately 90 people were rescued after becoming trapped in their homes, with floodwater inside properties reaching over three feet high. Cars were piled atop one another in the town center, battered by a wall of water.
Civil Guard officers reported intense rainfall caused flooding on urban and interurban roads, sweeping away vehicles. Authorities advised avoiding unnecessary travel and not crossing flooded areas. The scenes in Madrigueras were reminiscent of devastating floods in Valencia in 2024, which claimed 232 lives.
Forecasters expect the unstable weather to continue into the coming week, with eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands at higher risk. Residents have been urged to remain indoors, avoid travel, and stay clear of flood-prone areas, underpasses, and normally dry riverbeds that can fill rapidly.