After devastating floods hit Spain in late October, the country is now experiencing another wave of intense rainfall, leading to further flooding but no reported casualties.
On Thursday, Spain’s national meteorological agency, AEMET, downgraded the highest, red-level weather alerts for the province of Málaga in Andalusia and the Valencia region. Both areas faced severe flooding just two weeks ago, with over 200 fatalities reported. This latest rainfall, heaviest on Wednesday, caused new flooding but without any loss of life, according to Reuters.
The second-highest level alert, orange, remains in place for the Andalusian provinces of Cádiz, Huelva, and Seville, where schools have been temporarily closed. In provinces such as Alicante, Valencia, Albacete, Almería, Granada, Málaga, Ávila, Salamanca, Extremadura, A Coruña, and Murcia, a lower, yellow alert has been issued.
4,000 People Evacuated in Málaga
Emergency services in Málaga evacuated nearly 4,000 people due to flooding. Rainfall reached 142 liters per square meter within two hours in Málaga, 82 liters in Pego, Alicante, and 94 liters in Cullera, Valencia. By Thursday, the heaviest rain was shifting southwestward, with intense rainfall expected in western Andalusia.
In the Valencia region, where severe floods struck in late October, storm impacts were limited this time. As a result, restrictions on private vehicles were lifted, and schools were reopened from midday. Transportation services resumed with trains between Valencia and Barcelona, and the transport ministry anticipated the high-speed Madrid-Valencia line to reopen soon after repairs from the October 29 storm.
The severe storms and flooding in late October were caused by a meteorological phenomenon known as DANA, or “isolated depression at high altitude,” commonly referred to as a “cold drop.” The October floods left at least 224 people dead, with 216 casualties in Valencia alone. Sixteen individuals remain missing, and of the deceased in Valencia, 104 were aged 70 or older. Among the victims were 26 foreign nationals of 11 different countries.
