Torrential downpours on Thursday transformed the streets into raging rivers along Spain’s Mediterranean coast, wreaking havoc after a prolonged drought. Videos circulating on social media captured the harrowing scenes as cars were swept away and pedestrians struggled to navigate the deluge in towns like Molina de Segura in the southeastern region of Murcia. One particularly alarming incident depicted a young boy being flipped out of his stroller while his mother attempted to guide him across a flooded street. Thankfully, a bystander came to their rescue and pulled them to safety. Passersby intervened to prevent another family member from making the perilous crossing with the stroller a second time. In a separate incident, a red car was seen being carried about 50 meters down a street after an ill-fated attempt to drive through the rising floodwaters.
Central Spain, including the capital Madrid, also experienced heavy rainfall during this time. Earlier in the week, schools, universities, and daycare centers were closed as a precautionary measure due to flooded basements and submerged vehicles. While the rain brought chaos and economic damage, it was a relief for many in Spain. The country was on track to record the driest spring since 1961, according to the state weather agency AEMET. Between October 1 and May 23, rainfall in Spain was 27% below the average for that period.
The downpours were expected to persist, with the AEMET warning of significant accumulations of rainfall in the province of Castellon in the southeastern Valencia region. Fire services reported that the worst-affected areas were the towns of Benicassim, Oropesa del Mar, and Cabanes, where they conducted multiple rescues and provided pumping services to mitigate the damage caused by the flooding.
This recent episode of intense rainfall follows the devastating flooding in northern Italy earlier this month, which claimed the lives of at least 13 people, displaced around 23,000 individuals, and caused extensive financial losses amounting to billions of euros.