RismadarVoice Reporters
October 20, 2026
At least three people have died following severe flooding across eastern Spain, where torrential rainfall has submerged communities, displaced thousands of residents and forced emergency workers to rescue people trapped on rooftops.
The flooding, triggered by Storm Adam, affected several communities in Valencia and Alicante, with overflowing rivers turning streets into dangerous waterways and cutting off access to residential areas.
Emergency responders deployed helicopters to evacuate stranded residents as rising floodwaters made several roads impassable.
Authorities confirmed that the body of a woman was recovered in Oliva on Monday, October 19, bringing the reported death toll to three.
Two other women had died over the weekend, including one whose body was discovered on a beach in Sagunto and another who was swept away by floodwaters in Cabrera de Mar, near Barcelona.
According to Spanish emergency authorities, more than 2,000 people were evacuated, while rescue teams carried out nearly 100 operations across the affected regions.
Spain’s national meteorological agency, AEMET, reported exceptionally heavy rainfall, with Pego in Alicante province recording approximately 632 millimetres within 36 hours.
Several other communities recorded more than 500 millimetres of rainfall during the same period.
The agency issued severe weather warnings, advising residents to avoid unnecessary travel and move away from flood-prone locations.
At the height of the emergency on Monday morning, approximately 800,000 residents were instructed to remain indoors. By late afternoon, the restrictions had been reduced to about 87,000 people across eight municipalities.
The flooding also disrupted education, with more than 100,000 students affected by school closures in the Valencia region.
In some communities, floodwaters swept vehicles into one another, damaged properties and left residents struggling to recover their belongings.
Local officials reported that emergency teams faced difficulties reaching isolated settlements, with some roads inaccessible even to heavy-duty military vehicles.
The Spanish Government deployed military emergency personnel and police officers to support rescue and relief operations.
Authorities also warned that the storm could move towards Catalonia, particularly Barcelona and Girona, where additional heavy rainfall threatened further flooding.
The disaster has revived memories of the devastating 2024 floods in Valencia, which killed more than 230 people.
Emergency authorities continued to assess damage and monitor weather conditions as rescue and recovery operations progressed.
Residents in vulnerable communities have been urged to follow official safety instructions and avoid flooded roads until conditions improve.
