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Link to original content: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ckmgmdxg254t
Spain floods death toll rises to 158 as rescuers comb for survivors - BBC News

Summary

Media caption,

Closer look: BBC reporter walks through devastated Valencia neighbourhood

  1. Scenes of devastation as death toll rises to 158 in Spainpublished at 18:24 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Spain is still reeling from the deadly impact of its worst flooding disaster in decades. At least 158 people are confirmed dead and dozens are missing.

    Near Valencia, we saw more than a year's worth of rainfall in just eight hours on Wednesday, causing devastating flash-flooding.

    Search and rescue operations are still ongoing for those missing. Rebuilding the damaged areas will take untold weeks or months, and for now, emergency crews are grappling with inaccessible areas that have been cut off by the damage.

    Residents have described "nightmare" scenes, with one Valencia resident telling our reporter that all locals now "know someone who has died".

    Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned residents in affected areas to "stay home", echoing an earlier statement from King Felipe VI who said the emergency is "not over".

    More rain is expected to fall on Friday, posing risk of new flooding, since the ground is already saturated with water.

    We'll be ending our live coverage shortly, but you can read more on this story across our website:

    Media caption,

    Watch: Deadly floods leave trail of destruction in southern Spain

  2. Hundreds of locals walking into the city for suppliespublished at 18:01 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Nicky Schiller
    Reporting from Valencia

    I've just walked back down through a devastated street in the La Torre in Valencia and you can see hundreds of people walking back and forth into the city for supplies.

    One of the small local supermarkets has a queue outside.

    Queue of people outside supermarket

    Most people are carrying the bottled water that they have bought. I also saw a lot of bleach/disinfectant as most of the house have been inundated with water or mud.

    Outside a church, city council workers are handing out food bags for local people who need to eat.

    A lot of the criticism I had been hearing from residents is they felt the authorities hadn't done enough to help after the flooding.

    Woman carrying bag of supplies, and other people in the background
  3. Army to assist in Valenciapublished at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    People walk on a mud-covered road in the flood-hit municipality of Paiporta, in the province of Valencia, Spain, 31 October 2024.Image source, EPA

    The Valencian president has called on Spain's army to distribute aid and help with clearing the wreckage caused by the floods.

    "The government informs me that tomorrow at 8 in the morning a first wave will join to work during the day," he writes in a post on X.

    The army will also help co-ordinate flood relief operations, he adds.

  4. Satellite images show extent of flooding around Valenciapublished at 17:23 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Tom Finn
    Visual Journalism Team

    Satellite image showing the same area of Valencia on 6 and 30 October. In the second, sediment clouds the sea.

    The scale of the destruction caused by the torrential rainfall in Spain can be hard to grasp.

    We’ve looked at satellite imagery of a 7km (4.3-mile) stretch of residential neighbourhoods south of Valencia.

    The area overlooks a lagoon surrounded by rice fields in the Albufera Natural Park and is prone to flooding.

    But the extraordinary volume of rainwater that fell in such a short space of time burst the banks of the river Turia and flooded thousands of people’s homes.

    So much sediment was carried out to sea by the river that it can be seen from space miles off Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

  5. Locals haven't seen anything like these floodspublished at 17:06 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Nicky Schiller
    Reporting from Valencia

    I'm still in the La Torre area of Valencia, one of the worst hit areas of the city.

    All around me are cars tossed into the road from the force of the flood water.

    Locals don't have any power in this area, but are already starting to work together to try and clear up. I saw a group of young men with brooms sweeping muddy water from one business.

    People cleaning up mud off the street, with a pile of cars behind them

    There is mud everywhere. We spoke to one local called Rosa who said she saw cars floating in the water and had not seen anything like it in this area.

    But she also said the community was coming together seeing what others needed and trying to get it for them.

    It is going to be weeks and months before this area of the city looks anything like it did before the floods.

    People standing in front of a pile of damaged cars
  6. More heavy rain predicted for hardest-hit Valencia regionpublished at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    The Visual Journalism Team
    BBC News

    We’re closely following the forecast of Spain’s state weather agency, AEMET, to get a sense of what lies in store for the next 24 hours.

    Unfortunately, more heavy rain is predicted for the hardest-hit eastern Valencia region and other areas on the north-east coast, already devastated by yesterday’s tragedy.

    A year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of Valencia on Tuesday, according to meteorologists and the storm that caused the intense downpours has been moving northeast.

    The weather agency issued its highest level of alert for the province of Castellon where 180mm (7in) could fall and an amber alert for the city of Tarragona further north in the Catalonia region.

    “The adverse weather continues! Beware!” AEMET posted on its X account.

    Map showing areas hit by rain in Spain
  7. What is a DANA?published at 16:47 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Elizabeth Rizzini
    Lead Weather Presenter

    In our coverage of the Spanish flooding you may have heard the acronym DANA.

    This is not a storm name, but stands for Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos – literally a high altitude, isolated depression - a recurring type of storm often seen in the Iberian peninsula at this time of year.

    It is sometimes known as a “gota fria” or “cold drop”.

    Scientists are already attributing the devastating scenes to climate change. While DANAs aren’t unusual in the region, the Mediterranean has seen record-breaking warm waters this summer.

    A warm atmosphere holds more moisture and so as the world continues to warm we can expect to see these sorts of events become more extreme.

    Severe thunderstorms produce a lot of rain within a short space of time - as we saw in Chiva, in Valencia province, where a year’s worth of rain fell within eight hours earlier in the week.

    When this rain falls intensely on parched, dry earth it cannot easily drain away, leading to run off, burst river banks and catastrophic flash flooding.

  8. What has happened today?published at 16:38 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Let's bring you up to speed on what's been happening in Spain.

    • In the last hour, it's been confirmed some 158 people are now known to have died after flash floods hit parts of Spain
    • Valencia has been significantly impacted with widespread destruction to roads and railways, and 155 people recorded dead, the region's emergency coordination centre says
    • Areas hit hard by the storm - including Valencia and parts of Barcelona - are experiencing power, phone coverage and internet outages
    • Emergency teams are continuing to search for those missing and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to Valencia
    • The PM has urged people to "stay at home" as King Felipe warns the emergency is "not over"
    • More rain is expected to fall on saturated ground on Friday, increasing the risk of more floods.

  9. UK Foreign Office confirms British man among the deadpublished at 16:24 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Yesterday we reported a British man had died in Malaga, after being rescued from the floods.

    Today the Foreign Office confirmed it was "providing support" to the family of the un-named 71-year-old, who died after multiple cardiac arrests.

    You can read the full story here.

  10. Aerial images show scale of devastation in flooded areaspublished at 16:05 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    We're now getting some new images which show a flood-hit area near Valencia from above.

    The aerial images show destruction to roads, homes and railways.

    Here are some of these photos:

    Aerial image showing flooded streets and carsImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The Valencia region has experienced most of the impact, caused by flash-flooding

    Aerial image showing a damaged bridgeImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Residents in affected areas have been asked to stay at home and follow advice from emergency services

    Aerial image showing large amounts of debris over a train trackImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Railways have been damaged, with some high-speed and commuter services suspended for at least the next two weeks

    Aerial image showing a flooded rice field with a sole white house in the middleImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    These rice fields near Valencia have also been destroyed by the floodwaters

  11. Thunderstorms expected in Mallorca, Menorca and Cadizpublished at 15:47 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    BBC Weather

    By Elizabeth Rizzini

    It’s not just mainland Spain that has seen record-breaking rainfall.

    October records were broken earlier in the week in the Balearics where as much as 174mm (6.85in) of rain fell on Monday.

    Another 120mm (4.7in) could fall over the islands in just a few hours and the Spanish Met Service has issued amber warnings for rain and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday across Mallorca and Menorca.

    While this is less rain than before, it will be falling on already saturated ground and could cause more flash flooding.

    And while the low pressure system responsible for the flooding is weakening, it remains more or less stagnant over Iberia and there are likely to be more intense downpours in the coming days.

    Another area that could see further heavy thunderstorms with amber warnings issued is south-west Spain, around Cádiz.

    Any UK visitors to the country are being advised to keep up to date with the weather warnings.

  12. Valencia emergency centre still identifying victimspublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    As we've just reported, the number of people killed by the floods in Spain has risen to 158.

    The vast majority of these deaths - 155 people - were recorded in Valencia, the region's emergency coordination centre said on X, external.

    "The process of collecting and identifying victims continues", the centre said.

    Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the centre earlier this morning.

  13. Authorities say 158 killedpublished at 15:23 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October
    Breaking

    We have received an update on the number of people killed by severe flooding in Spain.

    Authorities in Valencia now say that at least 155 people in the region have died.

    With two more deaths in Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalusia, that brings the number of deaths so far to 158.

  14. Police arrested 39 people overnight in flood-hit areaspublished at 14:58 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Image of a shopfront with a broken windowImage source, Policía Nacional/X

    Spanish police arrested 39 people overnight as part of a crime prevention operation in commercial parts of flood-hit areas.

    The police say they recovered a number of stolen items, some of which are pictured below.

    A number of jewellery items on a tableImage source, Policía Nacional/X
  15. Number of casualties rises to 140 - reportpublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October
    Breaking

    Some 140 people are now known to have died in Spain due to flash-flooding in the region, according to the country's Efe news agency, which quotes government sources.

    The agency did not provide further information, although authorities in Valencia region earlier reported that the death toll had surpassed 100.

    It marks a significant jump from the 95 deaths confirmed yesterday, and we're working to find out more. We'll bring you that once we have it.

  16. The astonishing scale of destruction in Valenciapublished at 14:16 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    People work to push flood water out of a residential building in ValenciaImage source, Getty Images

    Flash flooding that ripped through parts of eastern Spain has destroyed buildings and infrastructure, sweeping away cars and piling debris high in the streets.

    Dozens of people have died and more are feared trapped or missing under the rubble.

    The BBC's Visual Journalism Team have collected photos that show the scale of the destruction in Valencia and the rescue efforts that are under way to save those stranded.

    Take a look at the entire photo essay.

  17. 'We all know someone who's died - it's a nightmare'published at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Bethany Bell
    Reporting from Valencia

    Here in Paiporta, Valencia, where dozens of people were killed in the flash floods, shops, homes and businesses are devastated.

    In one street I see undertakers recover a dead body.

    Standing outside the wreckage of his chemist shop, pharmacist Miguel Guerrilla tells me: "We all know someone who has died."

    "It’s a nightmare," he says.

    Volunteers have arrived to help with the clean-up but it’s grim work. As I walk through the village, a funeral services van arrives to retrieve another body.

  18. Real Madrid match against Valencia postponedpublished at 13:50 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    A top-flight football match between Valencia and Real Madrid scheduled for Saturday has been postponed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

    Every weekend match in the Valencia region is postponed as the region grapples with the aftermath of the flooding. This also includes another top-flight match, a clash between Villarreal - based in Castellon province - and Rayo Vallecano.

    RFEF received a request from La Liga and its clubs to push back all of the area's matches in the league's professional divisions. All non-professional matches have also been recommended for postponement.

  19. Watch: 'This place never floods' - residentpublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Residents have been talking about the unexpected floods that hit La Torre in Valencia. The neighbourhood has seen a huge amount of damage from the floods.

  20. Satellite images show devastating flood impactpublished at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 31 October

    Satellite images released by the European Space Agency (ESA) show the extent of the impact of heavy rain and flash-flooding in the Valencia region of Spain.

    The first image was taken on 8 October, and the second just yesterday.

    The images, taken by the US Landsat-8 satellite, external, "vividly illustrate the scale of the disaster," the ESA says, and the "dramatic transformation of the landscape".

    A side-by-side of two satellite images showing flood damage in the Valencia regionImage source, USGS, processed by ESA