Spain: Unprecedented record-breaking storm caused flash floods in Valencia, one killed

On Saturday, an unparalleled record-breaking storm wrecked devastation in Spain by shutting down the airport in Valencia, displacing hundreds, and causing massive floods that claimed the life of a teenager. After the storm swamped the runway and caused flights to be grounded for many hours on November 12, hundreds of travelers were left stranded at Valencia airport. It is pertinent to mention that the Valencia region has been the most damaged so far. According to the Daily Sabah report, following heavy rains, certain cities there have started to resemble Venice. 

As per the Spanish meteorological organisation, AEMET, the weather station at the Valencia airport reported 66.1 liters of precipitation per square meter in just one hour, which can be considered to be the third-most severe downpour in recorded history and the most extreme precipitation for November. 

Along with the torrential rain, there is lightning, hail, and severe gusts. Flights to the Valencia airport were first canceled owing to floods, but Spain's airport operator later reported that a lightning strike had rendered the runway "inoperative", Daily Sabah reported.  

Flash floods in Spain

According to the Euro News report, thousands of people are still without power across the nation, and a 17-year-old boy lost his life on Friday night in Zaragoza's northeast after a tree under which he was sheltering fell on top of him. Rainfall was especially heavy in Valencia's south-eastern district, which is still on orange alert. 

Around 6,600 people in Tarragona, Catalonia, don't have electricity as a result of the storm. Additionally, flooding has also been observed in Spain's central regions. 

After torrential rains triggered flooding in Spain's Valencia, firefighters had to rescue residents who were stranded in their vehicles and homes, FBC News reported.  

Additionally, flooding has been recorded in Spain's central regions, including Avila. This year, which experienced the hottest summer and hottest October on record, is continuing the trend of setting weather records in Spain. 

Meanwhile, in September 2021, automobiles were washed down streets by flash floods in a coastal town in northeastern Spain as other regions of the nation were affected by overnight rains. Residents in the Catalan town of Alcanar watched as floods brown with soil scooped up automobiles and sent them racing down streets into the Mediterranean after a downpour swiftly engulfed the town.

(Image: AP/ Representative)