Two dead, one missing as floods hit Spain city

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Two people have died and another remains missing after torrential rain triggered severe flooding in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, disrupting transport, flooding homes and forcing hundreds of rescue operations.

The storms began affecting parts of Catalonia on Saturday, October 3, with authorities issuing a red weather alert and urging residents to remain indoors as exceptionally heavy rain battered areas around Barcelona.

By Sunday, October 4, two people had died and another was missing, according to Catalan authorities.

Catalan President Salvador Illa confirmed on Sunday that a man died in Tordera, north of Barcelona, after a wall collapsed. Firefighters also reported the death of another person in Montornès del Vallès, while emergency services searched for a person reported missing in Pineda de Mar after apparently being swept away by a stream.

The torrential rain flooded homes and submerged vehicles in areas around Barcelona, while roads and rail services were also affected.

On Saturday, Catalan authorities sent an emergency alert to residents across 20 counties, advising them to suspend activities and travel from 8pm because of the severity of the weather. The warning was initially expected to remain in place until 2pm on Sunday.

Sarai Sarroca, director of Catalonia’s regional weather service, Meteocat, said on Saturday that “the core of an exceptional weather system was over the Mediterranean”, warning that a “mini-hurricane” could move over land in Catalonia.

The rainfall caused widespread disruption, with flights cancelled or delayed at Barcelona airport, local train services disrupted, shops closing early and football matches called off. A performance of Verdi’s Aida at Barcelona’s Liceu opera house was also cancelled.

Emergency crews carried out thousands of operations as floodwaters spread across communities.

According to Catalonia’s authorities, firefighters carried out 2,440 operations, including 226 rescue services, while the regional emergency telephone service received 8,151 calls, mainly concerning flooding, structural risks, rescues and traffic incidents.

The search for the missing person in Pineda de Mar was suspended on Sunday after firefighters and police searched the affected watercourse without success.

By Monday, October 5, emergency teams had resumed the search while authorities continued to deal with the aftermath of the storm. Catalonia’s regional government also warned residents to exercise caution as further locally intense rainfall was expected in parts of the region.

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Illa said on Sunday that the worst of the storm had passed but called for continued caution.

“Now it is time to focus all efforts on the reconstruction of homes, public facilities and communication routes to recover normality as soon as possible,” he said.

Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, continued to issue weather warnings on Monday, with heavy rain expected in parts of the country.

The flooding in Catalonia came as eastern and central parts of Spain also experienced severe weather. In Castilla-La Mancha, a 102-year-old woman died on Saturday after heavy rain, in a separate incident from the two deaths recorded in Catalonia.

The latest flooding has left authorities assessing damage to homes, public infrastructure and transport networks as emergency services continue their response.

What happened: Torrential rain caused severe flooding in parts of Catalonia, northeastern Spain.

When: The worst of the flooding occurred from Saturday, October 3, through Sunday, October 4, with emergency operations continuing on Monday, October 5.

Where: Areas around Barcelona and Girona were among those affected, including Tordera, Montornès del Vallès and Pineda de Mar.

Who: Two people died in Catalonia and another remained missing on Monday.

Why: Authorities said an exceptional weather system over the Mediterranean brought intense and persistent rainfall.

How severe: Firefighters recorded 2,440 operations, including 226 rescues, while the emergency service received 8,151 calls related mainly to flooding, structural risks, rescues and traffic incidents.