Two people have died and another remains missing after torrential rain caused severe flooding across Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, leaving homes, roads and public infrastructure inundated and triggering hundreds of emergency operations.
The storm brought exceptionally heavy rainfall across Barcelona and surrounding areas, with some locations recording more than 200 litres of rain per square metre. At Can Bruixa, rainfall reached 213 litres per square metre, while other parts of Catalonia recorded totals of up to 288 litres per square metre.
The fatalities occurred in Tordera and Montornès del Vallès. In Tordera, a 75-year-old man died after a wall collapsed at a campsite, while another man died after becoming trapped in a flooded garage in Montornès del Vallès. A third person was reportedly swept into a stream in Pineda de Mar, with search teams yet to locate the individual.
Emergency crews have been stretched by the scale of the flooding. Catalan firefighters carried out 2,440 operations, including 226 rescues, while the emergency service received more than 8,100 calls linked mainly to flooding, structural risks, rescues and transport incidents.
The flooding also caused widespread disruption to transport, with roads and rail services affected and parts of Barcelona airport operations disrupted. Vehicles were submerged and several communities were left dealing with extensive mud, debris and water damage.
Authorities had issued red weather alerts during the height of the storm and repeatedly urged residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, particularly around swollen rivers and streams.
Catalan authorities have now declared the main storm episode over and lifted the remaining mobility restrictions in the Baix Empordà and Alt Empordà areas. However, officials warned that scattered locally heavy rain could still affect coastal, pre-coastal and northeastern parts of the region.
Recovery efforts are now shifting towards clearing roads, assisting damaged communities and restoring public infrastructure. Authorities said dozens of technical-assistance operations remained active in areas including Lloret de Mar, Platja d’Aro, Vallès Oriental and Maresme.
The latest disaster has renewed memories of Spain’s devastating October 2024 floods, particularly in Valencia, where catastrophic rainfall caused more than 200 deaths and became one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in decades.
Catalonia has also experienced deadly flooding in previous years. In October 2019, extreme rainfall in the Francolí river basin caused major flooding, killing six people and damaging homes, roads and bridges.
The latest storm has once again highlighted the vulnerability of Mediterranean communities to intense rainfall and flash flooding, placing renewed focus on early-warning systems, emergency preparedness and stronger protection for communities located near rivers and other flood-prone areas.
