In brief
Survivors of the flash floods in Spain detail their harrowing experiences as the water surged unexpectedly, contributing to a tragic death toll, missing persons, and widespread destruction.
Guillermo Serrano Pérez, a 21-year-old from Paiporta near Valencia, compared the force of Tuesday night’s flash floods to a tsunami. “When the water started to rise, it came as a wave,” he said, recalling the moment he and his parents were caught while driving on the motorway. They escaped by climbing onto a nearby bridge, leaving their car to be engulfed by the floodwaters.The region was already under a red alert from Spain's meteorological agency, Aemet, warning of the extreme risk for torrential rains. Although residents were advised to avoid travel, the sheer suddenness of the floods caught many off guard. Alerts had been issued throughout the day, yet by 15:20, residents were already witnessing flooded streets in towns like La Fuente and Utiel, indicating the rising danger.A few hours later, Chiva, just 20 kilometers away, faced the devastating effects of the flash floods as torrents transformed streets into raging rivers that swept away vehicles and debris. “A very strong downpour came from above very suddenly,” reported the mayor of Riba-roja de Túria, highlighting the rapid rise of the water.In the chaos, over 70 people have been reported dead, with many more still unaccounted for as rescue efforts continue. Some survivors shared their stories, including one man named Paco, who described the "insane" speed of the water as he fought to escape his submerged vehicle. “The pressure was tremendous. I managed to get out...but the water pushed me against a fence that I managed to grab on to,” he recounted, struggling against the current.Patricia Rodríguez, stuck in traffic near Paiporta, feared for her life as the floodwaters began to encroach on her vehicle. “We were afraid the river was going to burst its banks,” she said, describing the harrowing escape with a fellow driver’s help. Their courage was tested further as they witnessed others, including a man carrying a newborn to safety.As night descended, social media captured the escalating emergencies. In a heart-wrenching video, wheelchair-bound residents of a Paiporta care home were shown trapped in rising floodwaters. Rut Moyano, a resident of Benetússer, sought urgent assistance as conditions deteriorated for her and her neighbors taken refuge on upper floors, with the dire situation leading to tragic outcomes.With daylight came stark visibility of the devastation left behind—a mosaic of submerged cars, destroyed businesses, and communities buried in mud. Juliano Sánchez, a man rescued after clinging to palm trees for hours, described the desperation of survival. “I didn’t want to die,” he said, sharing how he fought against the flooding waters.Tragically, many families remain uncertain about the fates of their loved ones, reflecting on the catastrophic impact of the floods. “We saw two cars being swept away by the current and we don’t know if there were people inside,” one resident lamented. The community, shaken by this unprecedented disaster, continues to grapple with the aftermath.
