Spain’s Valencia region faces ongoing devastation following severe flooding that has already claimed the lives of at least 158 people in what officials are calling the deadliest flood in Spain’s modern history.
The state weather agency AEMET has issued an amber alert for four regions, including Valencia, warning of continued storms and heavy rainfall in the coming days.
The agency emphasized that the meteorological emergency is far from over, with storms persisting across Spain.
The floods have caused widespread destruction, sweeping away cars, bridges, and infrastructure, leaving many towns isolated and without basic necessities.
Emergency teams are racing against time as the number of missing people remains uncertain. Thousands of residents are reportedly stranded, lacking access to clean water, food, and safe transportation.
Residents use personal resources to distribute food in isolated areas lacking emergency support.Spain’s defense minister, Margarita Robles, announced the deployment of an additional 500 soldiers to support local emergency services in search and rescue operations.
“Their missions include rescuing people trapped in basements or lower floors, pumping out floodwaters, and ensuring essential supplies reach affected areas,” said Robles, expressing her concern over the unprecedented scale of the storm.
Specialized units, including a mobile morgue and psychologists, have been deployed to provide critical support.
In Alfafar, a hard-hit municipality south of Valencia, Mayor Juan Ramón Adsuara voiced frustration over the apparent lack of sufficient emergency response.
“We’ve been forgotten,” he told local media À Punt, describing the dire situation where residents are left to fend for themselves, using personal machinery to clear blocked areas and pooling resources to distribute food and water.
As communities grapple with the aftermath of this disaster, officials continue to urge vigilance amid the ongoing threat of further storms.