Four dead as heavy rain floods eastern Spain

Torrential rain from Storm Adam has claimed four lives and caused widespread flooding across eastern Spain, authorities said on Monday. The storm, which began on Saturday, dumped up to 700 litres of rain per square metre in a single day in parts of the Valencia region. Floodwaters have cut off several Mediterranean‑coast towns, rivers have overflowed, and streets have turned into rushing streams, evoking memories of the 2024 deluge that killed more than 230 people in the same area.

The confirmed fatalities include two people in the coastal resort of Oliva, a third on a beach in Sagunto, and a fourth who fell into a swollen stream in Catalonia. On Monday morning, 800,000 residents were ordered to stay indoors, a figure that fell to 87,000 in eight municipalities by late afternoon. Security forces reported carrying out more than 400 rescues in the Valencia region, according to government spokesperson Pilar Bernabe. Many people stranded on rooftops were winched to safety as evacuations continued.

The storm also affected the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, prompting authorities to advise about 100 municipalities to remain indoors for several hours on Monday. Most of those restrictions were lifted by early afternoon as conditions improved, the regional government said.

In Els Poblets, northeast of Alicante, a woman walked along a mud‑covered street while cars and vans were piled together by the force of the water. “The village, well, it’s a disaster. Some people have lost everything all over again, just like in 2007, when exactly the same thing happened,” said resident Javier Fornez.

More than 2,000 people were evacuated, mainly from Oliva, and the Civil Guard said nearly 100 rescues were carried out in Valencia and Alicante on Monday. Pego mayor Enrique Moll told regional broadcaster A Punt that several residents were still awaiting helicopter evacuation from their rooftops and that all access routes to the town were blocked. Oliva deputy mayor Salvador Llopis told TVE that emergency crews were rescuing trapped residents, especially elderly people whose homes were filled with water up to their waists.

The national weather agency AEMET announced on Friday that September had been the hottest on record for mainland Spain, following the warmest summer between June and August.