Emergency services in Spain have battled severe flooding along the country's popular east coast, with one man found dead and dramatic rescues carried out, including that of a 90-year-old couple.
Red Alert and Widespread Evacuations
On Sunday evening, the state meteorological agency Aemet placed multiple areas on Spain's eastern coastline under a red alert, the highest possible warning. The agency confirmed that more than five inches of rain had already deluged the region, with forecasts predicting further intense downpours.
The national police force urged the public to exercise "extreme caution" in areas where the storm was intensifying. In Valencia, the Guardia Civil confirmed the evacuation of at least 38 residents from a single flooded street as waters rose rapidly.
Dramatic Dinghy Rescues Amid Rising Waters
One of the most poignant operations took place in the neighbourhood of Carcaixent, where firefighters from Alzira and the GERA unit used a yellow dinghy to evacuate two nonagenarians with mobility issues from their ground-floor home. The local fire brigade, Bombers Valencia, shared video of the rescue on social media platform X, stating the couple had been moved to a safe location.
In a separate incident, emergency workers were deployed to a ravine to rescue seven people from vehicles that had become trapped. Visuals from the affected areas showed cars completely submerged, transforming roads into temporary waterways.
Hailstorms, Fatalities, and Fresh Trauma
The severe weather was not limited to rain. The coastal town of Xeraco was hit by a heavy hailstorm, blanketing streets in a layer of white powder. Further south, near Malaga, the body of a man was discovered in the River Fahala in Alhaurín el Grande. Authorities continue to search for two other individuals reported missing.
Pilar Bernabé, the government's delegate for the Valencian Community, implored residents to take "maximum caution" and avoid all non-essential travel. She advised people in at-risk buildings to move to upper floors due to the danger of sudden water surges.
The devastating floods have stirred painful memories of the October 2024 deluges on the same coast, which claimed the lives of more than 200 people, underscoring the region's vulnerability to extreme weather events.
