The aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
A man reacts as he waits for news of his relatives trapped during the floods in Valencia, Spain, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. awoke to scenes of devastation on Thursday after villages were wiped out by monstrous flash floods that claimed at least 95 lives. The death toll is expected to rise as search efforts continue with officials removing bodies from vehicles and an unknown number of people still missing.
Walls of rushing water turned narrow streets into death traps and spawned rivers that ripped into the ground floors of homes and swept away cars, people and anything else in its path. Over a thousand soldiers from Spain's emergency rescue units joined regional and local emergency workers in the search for bodies and survivors. The defense minister said that soldiers alone had recovered 22 bodies and rescued 110 people by Wednesday night.
Thousands of people were left without water and electricity and hundreds were stranded after their cars were wrecked or roads were blocked. The region remained partly isolated with several roads cut off and train lines interrupted, including the high-speed service to Madrid, which officials say won't be repaired for several days.
The greenhouses and fields of farmers all over the southern arc of Spain, which is known as Europe's garden for its exported produce, were also ruined by heavy rains, flooding and winds. The storms spawned a freak tornado in Valencia and a hail storm that punched holes in cars in Andalusia. The violence of the weather event surprised regional government officials. Spain's national weather service said it rained more in eight hours in the Valencian town of Chiva than it had in the preceding 20 months, calling the deluge "extraordinary."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Officials search for bodies after Spain's flood of the century claims nearly 100 livesThe aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
Read more »
Officials search for bodies after Spain's flood of the century claims nearly 100 livesThe aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
Read more »
Officials search for bodies after Spain's flood of the century claims nearly 100 livesThe aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
Read more »
Officials search for bodies after Spain's flood of the century claims nearly 100 livesThe aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
Read more »
Officials search for bodies after Spain's flood of the century claims nearly 100 livesThe aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
Read more »
Officials search for bodies after Spain's flood of the century claims nearly 100 livesThe aftermath of the floods looked eerily similar to the damage left by a strong hurricane or tsunami.
Read more »