At least 64 people have died after torrential rainfall impacted eastern Spain late Tuesday, with some areas experiencing a year’s worth of rain overnight, according to local officials, who warned the death toll will likely continue rising as rescue efforts ensue.
A man stands on a car amid flooding in Valencia, Spain.
Rainfall on Tuesday night exceeded 70 gallons per square yard in some areas in southeastern Spain, according to the country’s meteorological agency, including more than 100 gallons of rainfall per square yard in Chiva, or about the average amount of rain experienced in the area over a year.
More rain is expected on Wednesday, with Spain’s meteorological agency issuing an emergency alert for the coastal region near Valencia, which reportedly experienced the heaviest rainfall in 24 hours since 1996 on Tuesday.
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told CNN the flooding was an “unprecedented phenomenon,” and more than 1,000 members of the Spanish military had been deployed to assist in rescue efforts.
Local officials claim 62 died in the flooding, with The Associated Press reporting another two died in the nearby Castilla La Mancha region.
A man walks through flooded streets in Valencia, Spain.
Submerged cars outside of Malaga, Spain.
Flooding amid piled-up cars in Valencia, Spain.
Cars are trapped by flooding in Valencia, Spain.
A man walks by a pile-up of cars outside Valencia, Spain.
A man walks in a street covered in mud in a flooded area in Picanya, near Valencia, eastern Spain.
Trucks and a construction vehicle are partly submerged in flood waters outside Valencia, Spain.
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Spain’s meteorological agency forecast more rainfall through Thursday that will likely move to the northward.
The Mediterranean Ocean reached its highest recorded temperature for the second summer in a row earlier this year, which forecasters say could increase the chances for more severe weather events in the region. Spain experienced severe flooding in September 2023, with more than 6 inches of rain falling across some areas, killing at least three people. Another storm moved across central Europe last month, resulting in at least 12 deaths across Romania, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic.