At least 62 dead in floods in parts of Spain

VALENCIA, Spain – Authorities say a catastrophic flash flood in Spain's Valencia region has claimed dozens of lives after heavy and historic rains left streets and towns underwater.

At least 62 people have died in the devastating floods in Valencia, according to the city's emergency coordination center. The rise in deaths marks the worst flood disaster in Europe since 2021, when almost 200 people died, mostly in Germany.

“Together with the Queen, we would like to express our condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones,” said Spain’s King Felipe VI. on Wednesday at the Spanish air base Gando on Gran Canaria. “Sometimes they don’t yet know what happened to their relatives.”

The monarch said there had been significant damage to the infrastructure and personal property of so many people in the regions of Valencia, Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha.

“There are still difficulties in reaching some cities and towns,” he said. “Complete information is not yet available about the full extent of the damage and the number of possible victims.”

As a powerful storm system battered Spain's east coast from Monday to Tuesday, strong, moisture-laden winds swept into the mountains west of Valencia, bringing hours of torrential rain across the flooded European region.

Carlos Mazon, the regional director of Valencia, said during a news conference that some people remained isolated in inaccessible places.

Spain's weather agency AEMET issued a red alert for Valencia, a key citrus-growing region, as heavy rains flooded the area.

The mountain town of Chiva, west of Valencia, was inundated by 19.33 inches of rain in just eight hours. An incredible 13.55 inches of it fell in just four hours, with 6.5 inches falling in a single hour.

The water rushed down the mountainsides, quickly flooding rivers and cities with raging water.

Government officials urged residents to seek higher ground and stay on upper floors if possible. A Spanish Civil Defense video showed some water rescues carried out by helicopter.

Footage released by the Spanish Ministry of Defense shows rescue operations, destroyed streets and flooded houses Utiel, one of the areas most affected by the flooding.