Storm Alice Spain: Highest red alert issued as catastrophic scenes emerge from Catalonia flash floods | VIDEO
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Scene from October 2024 floods in Spain. Photograph: (AFP)
Storm Alice has spun off heavy and torrential rains in Catalonia and Valencia in Spain. Videos show water gushing through the streets, slamming cars. The flash floods left people stranded in cars. Tourists on the island of Ibiza are also stuck.
The Catalonia region of Spain is in the grips of flash floods, as torrential rains driven by Storm Alice thrash the northeastern parts of the country. Alice has battered parts of southeastern Spain, including the Balearic Islands, in recent days. The floods have left people trapped in cars as muddy water spread on the roads. Travel has been suspended across the Mediterranean coast. Video shows flooding in the towns of La Ràpita and Santa Bàrbara in Tarragona province, with vehicles swept away in the flowing water. Spain’s national weather agency Aemet has declared the highest red alert in Catalonia. It has predicted 180mm of rain (7 feet) in just 12 hours in the region. Residents in the Ebro Delta have been urged to stay indoors amid the havoc. “The situation is complicated, and more rain is forecast,” Cristina Vicente, a senior official at the agency, was quoted as saying by La Vanguardia.
People have been trapped in cars in the floods as their vehicles were submerged in the water. Emergency services have rescued several people from cars, and no deaths have been reported till now. Authorities have shut down several roads to prevent loss of life. Train services between Barcelona and Valencia are also stand suspended. Meanwhile, tourists on the popular island of Ibiza have been stranded because of floodwaters at the airport and roads. The heavy showers have led to power cuts at the airport. The roof in some portions is also leaking, because of which some inside areas had to be closed.
Spain floods 2024
"Because of the adverse weather conditions in Ibiza, airport operations were temporarily paralysed between 6 pm and 7.20 pm,” Spanish airport authority officials told the media. From Valencia to the south of Tarragona, 10-12 inches of rain is expected. Spain witnessed a similar scene in October last year. Social media video showed water gushing through the streets as if it were "end of the world." A user shared a scary video and wrote, "Spain is having some Catastrophic Flooding, it's as if the world is ending!" They added, "The flooding taking place in Valencia, Spain, is biblical!" Notably, the 2024 floods killed nearly 200 people in Spain.
