Key facts
- At least two people have died due to the floods.
- Over 800,000 residents were ordered to shelter in place.
- Rainfall in some areas exceeded 600 mm (24 inches) over 48 hours.
- The downpour is attributed to Storm Adam.
Torrential rains from Storm Adam have caused severe flooding across eastern Spain, leading to rescues by helicopter and shelter-in-place orders for over 800,000 residents. The downpour has cut off several towns along the Mediterranean coast, with rivers bursting their banks and streets inundated. At least two women have died, one found on a beach in Sagunto and another swept away in Cabrera de Mar. Meteorologists note that human-driven climate change increases the frequency and destructiveness of such extreme weather events. Access to some towns, like Pego, is severely limited, with even heavy-duty vehicles struggling to reach affected areas. Emergency services are working to rescue residents, particularly the elderly, trapped in their homes with water up to their waists. Rainfall in some regions has reached levels not seen since 1987, prompting red alerts from the national weather agency.