Nearly a week after wreaking havoc in southern and eastern Spain, the DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels) persists in its destructive path, now causing significant flooding in Catalonia this Monday. As the search for dozens of missing individuals continues, the country's meteorological agency has issued stark warnings.
Red Alert Issued in Catalonia
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) declared high-risk alerts on November 4 for various regions along the Mediterranean coast due to heavy rain and accumulated precipitation. A red alert, the highest level on a three-tier scale, was triggered specifically for the coast of Barcelona province because of "extreme danger from torrential rains." This alert impacted six regions: Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, Garraf, Maresme, and the entirety of Vallès.
Chaos and Disruption Across the Region
Overnight, intense rainfall battered parts of the provinces of Barcelona and Tarragona, leading to flooded streets, basements, and garages, as local media reported. The heavy downpours have inundated roads, causing traffic chaos and road closures, including the A-27 highway in Valls (Tarragona), which was shut down due to landslides caused by the relentless rains.
Transportation Severely Affected
Several areas, including Barcelona's El Prat Airport, were submerged, resulting in at least 15 flight diversions, widespread delays, and the cancellation of 153 flights, according to Transport Minister Óscar Puente. The Rodalies train services in Catalonia were also halted.
Localities Hit Hard
In the province, towns like Gavà and Castelldefels, the latter under a red alert for extreme risk, experienced rainfall of 180 liters per square meter in just 12 hours, as reported by the Spanish newspaper Heraldo. In Tarragona, the towns of Salou and Cambrils were under yellow and orange alerts, respectively, for rain and storms.
Authorities Urge Caution
The meteorological agency urged citizens to take extreme precautions and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Similarly, the Generalitat's Civil Protection warned of the intense rainfall, sometimes accompanied by hail, advising people to limit their mobility. Recommendations included not picking up children from schools during the severe weather, as these were considered safe places, and advising workers to remain at their workplaces to avoid unnecessary travel.
Aftermath in the Community of Valencia
While Catalonia deals with the DANA's impact, the Community of Valencia, the most affected region, continues the search for numerous missing persons after the catastrophic floods on October 29. Authorities have confirmed 217 deaths, with 213 in Valencia alone, and these numbers are expected to rise as search efforts progress. Monday's focus was on parking lots and underground areas, with a temporary morgue ready to accommodate up to 400 victims, nearly double the current count, explained Javier Marcos, head of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), in a press conference in Madrid, as reported by EFE.
Public Outcry and Government Response
Following the disaster, affected towns felt abandoned by the Spanish government, and four days later, residents were still without water, electricity, food, or medication. On Friday, thousands of Valencia residents mobilized, walking miles to deliver food and water to flood-ravaged communities and assist in cleanup efforts, embodying the Valencian saying: "Only the people save the people."
On Monday, King Felipe VI chaired the DANA crisis committee meeting for the first time, a day after fierce protests in Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit towns in the Community of Valencia, during his visit with Queen Letizia, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Valencian Generalitat President Carlos Arturo Mazón. The official delegation was met with shouts of "murderers" and "out, out."
Media reports suggest the royals plan to return to the heart of the disaster despite the backlash during their visit on November 3 to Paiporta, where the highest number of fatalities from the weather event has been recorded.