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Shocking Flash Floods Turned Spain’s Streets Into Rivers, Killing 95 People

Flash floods killed 95 people and stranded thousands as record rainfall in Spain prompted military rescue operations.

Flash floods in Spain kill at least 95 people
Cars are piled in the street with other debris after flash floods hit Valencia, Spain, on Oct. 30, 2024. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Devastating flash floods in Spain have killed at least 95 people, with dozens of others still missing. Ninety-two of those victims were in Valencia, a city on the eastern coast of Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea, according to government minister Ángel Víctor Torres.

Up to 12 inches of rain hit within the span of just a few hours on Tuesday.

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Flash floods in Spain kill at least 95 people
A car covered with mud is pictured on a flooded street in Alora, near Malaga, on Oct. 29, 2024, after a heavy rain hit southern Spain. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)

“It’s not a rain pour, it was like a dam burst,” said Emiliano García-Page, regional government president of nearby Castile-La-Mancha. “People were calling [emergency numbers] crying, asking for help and it was almost impossible to reach them.”

The scene was like something out of a dystopian horror film, with inaccessible highways, suspended trains, and courthouses used as temporary morgues. Tons of vehicles piled on one another from the raging stormwater rushing them down roads.

Flash floods in Spain kill at least 95 people
Emergency workers clear debris in Letur, Albacete province, Spain. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

“Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles,” said Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente.

The terrifying conditions have left thousands trapped or blocked on the highway, according to Spanish state news agency EFE. Many residents sought shelter on the roofs of their homes as water flooded their first floors, while others were forced to evacuate to emergency shelters.

Flash floods in Spain kill at least 95 people
a flooded street after flash floods hit Valencia, Spain, due to extreme rainfall. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“It was agonizing,” one resident told TVE. “We stayed on the roof until 4 a.m. We didn’t have water, we were cold. Finally, the helicopter arrived … Everything is destroyed, but at least we are here to tell [the story].”

Others were separated from family members, still waiting to hear whether they were alive and safe. According to NBC News, the Spanish government deployed over 1,000 soldiers to help with rescues. The death toll will likely continue to rise as authorities make more discoveries.