Death and devastation from rain and tornadoes in Spain

Early on October 30, authorities announced that at least 51 people had died as a result of the monstrous storm front coming from the Mediterranean that had penetrated large areas of eastern and southern Spain the day before, causing an unprecedented situation and numerous damages and fatalities.

In just a few minutes, the water turned rivers with little flow or even dry streams into unmanageable torrents.

Authorities had warned dozens of municipalities of the storm that was coming, but not all residents have had the option of fleeing or seeking shelter.

In areas that had been suffering from persistent drought for months, rains of unprecedented force fell.

This image is from the province of Malaga, in Andalusia, but the worst has been seen in the area of Valencia.

In meteorological terms, all the media in Spain are talking about DANA, an Isolated Depression at High Levels, a phenomenon that usually causes torrential rains.

Valencia, Albacete, Malaga and the Balearic Islands have been the areas most affected by the heavy rainfall. Authorities confirmed early on October 30 that there were more than 51 deaths, but that the number could rise as the hours go by.

Spain is shocked by a climate catastrophe more common in other latitudes.

Hundreds of people had to climb to high places (rooftops, on top of vehicles, etc.) to escape the waters. Many had to spend the night in precarious conditions, perched on unstable rescue sites.

The Emergency Coordination Centre issued a special hydrological alert due to the increase in the flow of the Magro River, warning that it could reach 1,000 cubic metres per second downstream as a result of the rainfall. This flow rate would cause overflows and advised people not to approach the river banks.

Very close to Valencia, in Albacete, the municipality of Letur saw the flood devastate the town centre. The authorities declared six people missing.

The end of the night was a relief. During the night, with people trapped in houses and cars, it was a nightmare because no one knew when the rain would stop.

Meteorologists are aware that, in addition to torrential rains, at least two tornadoes are believed to have occurred.

This is not the first time that these areas of Spain have suffered heavy rains and floods, but no one remembers anything so brutal. The warming of the Mediterranean Sea to temperatures never seen before is conducive to this type of phenomenon.

The rain in Malaga was somewhat less intense but equally complicated, with precipitation reaching 50 litres per square metre in less than an hour, even causing a high-speed train to derail, with no injuries.

In addition, the rising river in the Guadalhorce Valley has caused dozens of vehicles to be swept away, so 112 has activated the red alert level for rain on the Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce.

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