Torrential rains and flash floods have left at least 92 people dead and dozens missing in Spain’s Valencia region, in what is the region’s worst storm in nearly three decades, according to Spain’s Emergency Coordination Center. A man in Malaga and an elderly woman in the neighboring Cuenca region also died.
On the evening of Oct. 29, Valencia’s Chiva area was hit by 491 millimeters (19.3 inches) of rain in the span of eight hours. Flash floods swept through several towns, including Paiporta and Picanya in Valencia, and Mira in Cuenca, causing extensive damage and disrupting transport.
“Our initial subjective assessment is that this gota fría is the most severe of the century in the Valencia region,” wrote the Valencia section of the Spain’s State Meteorological Agency.
A gota fría, or “cold drop,” happens when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, causing powerful rainclouds to form quickly, a meteorological phenomenon known as isolated high-altitude depression, or DANA by its Spanish acronym.
“We can’t say anything on the fly, except that in the context of climate change, these types of events will be more frequent and more intense,” said Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, a council member of the State Meteorological Agency, adding that further studies are needed to evaluate the causes.
Camino added that the destructive impact of the rainfall depends on several factors, including the area’s mountainous terrain, upstream rainfall, infrastructure, the location of towns, and any existing barriers. “There is a whole chain of considerations between heavy rainfall and its potential for destruction,” he said.
New warnings spanning half the country urge residents to stay indoors as further rainfall is expected despite a gradual weakening of the storm. An orange danger alert remains in effect for the provinces of Catalunya, Cadiz, Sevilla, Castellón and Andalucía.
In Barcelona and Tarragona provinces, wind speeds are expected to reach up to 70 kilometers an hour (43 miles per hour), with waves reaching 4 meters (13 feet) along the coast.
Banner image: Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit in Valencia on Oct. 30. Image courtesy of Spain’s Ministry of Defense (UME/OCP).
Update: The story was updated to reflect the confirmed death toll as of Oct. 30, 2024.
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