Torrential rains have wreaked havoc across eastern and southern Spain, leaving almost 100 dead and causing unprecedented disruptions in air, rail and road travel. Over the course of 24 hours, the Valencia region has experienced more than a month’s worth of rainfall, triggering flash floods that have swept away vehicles, inundated buildings and led to numerous fatalities.
Severe flash floods hit southeastern Spain
— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) October 29, 2024
Roads and towns submerged
A train derailed in Andalusia due to heavy rain, though no injuries were reported
Firefighters rescued trapped drivers in #Alzira, while streets were flooded with stranded cars.
AEMET (Spanish met)… pic.twitter.com/0Bh251ricM
The intensity of the rainfall, described as a once-in-a-century event, has not only affected countless lives but also brought significant infrastructural damage, bringing almost all forms of travel in the region to a standstill.
The most important thing is the loss of human life. In terms of infrastructure, the damage is very significant, but it can be fixed. And we will fix it.
Óscar Puente, Spanish Minister of Transport
1. Air
Valencia’s airport has faced significant challenges with numerous flights either cancelled or diverted. Powerful winds and torrential rain led to the diversion of 30 incoming flights to alternative airports like Barcelona and Alicante, while another 49 flights were cancelled, affecting thousands of passengers. The runway was submerged under water, as shown in videos shared on social media, capturing the severity of the flooding.
The catastrophic weather events have turned the travel hub into a makeshift shelter for stranded passengers, with many travellers spending the night in the airport terminals, waiting for any updates on their delayed or rescheduled flights. Operations have since resumed, but ongoing delays are expected as the airport struggles to manage the backlog of flights and continued adverse weather conditions.
2. Rail
The rail services in the Valencia region have been completely suspended. ADIF, the national rail infrastructure operator, confirmed that high-speed trains between Madrid and Valencia are halted until further notice, “until the situation returns to normal for the safety of passengers”, disrupting one of the busiest rail routes in Spain. The intensity of the floods even caused a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid to derail, thankfully without fatalities.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente has warned that the Madrid-Valencia route could be closed for up to 3 weeks, as two tunnels between the cities, the Chiva and Torrent tunnels, have collapsed, meaning tracks will need to be fully replaced in those areas, while tracks along the rest of the route are also in need of extensive repairs. Overall, Puente has estimated around 80 km of tracks are now “completely destroyed”.
3. Roads
Road travel is also severely impacted, with many areas becoming inaccessible. Major highways and local roads have been inundated with floodwater, debris and mud, trapping people inside their vehicles. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has confirmed that several state roads in the provinces of Valencia and Cuenca are closed, with accesses affected to Valencia from Madrid, the Valencia bypass and the roads that connect Valencia with Alicante.
The most affected roads are the A-7, A-3, A-35, V-11, V-30 and V-31 motorways, as well as on the N-3, N-322 and N-330 roads as they pass through the towns of Picassent, La Alcudia, Requena, Buñol Paterna, Alzira and Chiva (Valencia) and in Minglanilla (Cuenca), among other municipalities.
4. Bracing for more frequent extreme weather events
Emergency services are stretched thin, rescuing those stranded by the floods and clearing roads where possible, but the extent of the flooding means that many areas are unreachable by conventional vehicles. The Spanish government has mobilized over 1,600 soldiers and various emergency units to assist in rescue operations and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has assured continued support for the rescue efforts. “For those who are looking for their loved ones, all of Spain weeps”, Sánchez, said yesterday in a televised address, urging people “not to let their guard down”.
Three days of national mourning have been declared in memory of the victims, but people might not have time to grieve just yet, as the Spanish state weather agency, AEMET, has warned of more storms forecast through Thursday, raising fears of further damage and disruption. As recovery missions continue, the focus is also shifting towards long-term weather preparedness and infrastructure resilience to withstand such catastrophic events in the future.