Timeline of Spain’s worst flood in history

The death toll from Spain’s devastating floods could rise as emergency crews continue to carry out house-to-house searches in the worst-hit parts of the Valencia region.

It follows the region’s worst flooding on record, with bridges and cars washed away as rivers burst their banks after more than annual amount of precipitation fell in just eight hours in some parts of the country.

At least 205 people have been confirmed dead in Spain.

Scientists say the intensity of the storm has been exacerbated by climate change and the political fallout continues, with left-wing politicians blaming the conservative regional mayor of Valencia for downplaying the threat of the approaching extreme weather.

Here’s a timeline of what happened…

How did the flood unfold in Spain?

Tuesday, October 29

• 5.42: Heavy rainfall causes flash floods in southern and southeastern Spain, particularly in the Valencia region. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is issuing an orange weather warning for the south of Valencia before the Port of Valencia announces its closure.
• 6.36: AEMET, Spain’s meteorological service, issues a red weather warning for the Valencia region and updates the previous warning to the highest level in an hour.
• 10.30: A ravine in Chiva is overflowing, flooding a municipality west of the city of Valencia, with almost 500 mm of rain falling by the end of the day. Many of Valencia’s surrounding towns were the hardest hit, as they lay unprotected by the Turia riverbed, which was built in the 1950s to protect the city from flooding.
• 10.45: Emergency services are warning municipalities along the Magro River west of the city of Valencia. After 15 minutes, Magro leaves the shores in Utila, where 200 mm of rain fell at that time. A few minutes later, emergency services alerted municipalities along the Poyo Gorge.
• 12:00: The president of Valencia, Carlos Mason, holds a press conference, saying that the intensity of the storm will decrease by 5:00 p.m. Criticism will begin as opposition politicians hold Mr Mason responsible for further deaths.
• 16.35: Emergency services are warning towns around Valencia as the Magro and Jucar rivers begin to overflow. An hour later, the Poyo overflows its banks in Torrent, flooding several towns in Horta-Sud. Numerous deaths have already been reported as people seek shelter on the Autovía V-30 and in shopping malls.
• 18:25: The bridge in Picagna was destroyed by the flood. After 45 minutes, the regional government of Valencia sends an SMS advising residents to stay at home. The Government of Spain receives a request for the intervention of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) in the community of Valencia.
• 8 pm: Mr Mazon reappears, declaring the floods to be an “unprecedented situation”. Around midnight his team allegedly deletes the post on X anticipating that the storm will clear.

Wednesday, October 30

• 8 am: Heavy overnight rain begins to subside, and the scale of the disaster becomes apparent. The death toll now stands at 51 and many more are feared dead as rescuers frantically search for the missing.
• 11 am: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez makes a televised statement warning that “we must not let our guard down” as the weather front continues to wreak havoc. He warns people to continue to be especially careful. “Weather warnings are still in place for Andalusia, Valencia, Aragon, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Navarre, La Rioja and Ceuta.”
• 14:00: A three-day national mourning was announced from October 31 to November 2. According to government sources, the death toll has risen to at least 72 people El País.
• 15:00: More than 1,000 military personnel were involved in rescue operations. The flood caused extensive damage to infrastructure, washed away carriages and derailed a high-speed train with nearly 300 passengers on board, but no one was injured.

What happened since then?

Spanish rail operator Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias has announced the suspension of all rail services in Valencia until conditions improve. Heavy rain and wind led to the diversion of 12 flights from Valencia Airport and the cancellation of 10 other flights.

A spike in emergency calls overwhelmed the response system, prompting some residents to seek help via social media, according to the data. El País.

A military emergency unit was sent to help with rescue operations after the Spanish government set up a crisis committee. Helicopters rescued residents trapped near an erupted river in Alor, Andalusia.

The financial damage is expected to exceed that of the 1983 Spanish floods, making it potentially the costliest disaster in Spain’s history. The mayor of Utiel, Ricardo Gabaldón, noted that the flood water in the city reached three meters in height.

Valencia’s regional government has come under fire for allegedly failing to adequately prepare for flash floods. the right-wing regional government led by Carlos Mason abolished Valencia’s emergency unit when it took office in 2023.

“There are governments that privatize and dismantle when they come to the institutions, and there are governments that are proud of it,” said Gabriel Ruffian of the Catalan Republican Left.

Professor Liz Stephens, Professor of Climate Risk and Resilience at the University of Reading, said: “People should not be dying from such predictable weather events in countries that have the resources to do better.

“Climatologists have been warning for years that climate change will lead to more intense precipitation. The tragic consequences of this event show that we still have a long way to go to prepare for such events – and worse – in the future.”