Spain: Further casualties reported and widespread disruptions ongoing amid severe weather across parts of the country as of Oct. 30 /update 3

Casualty figures continue to rise and widespread disruptions are ongoing as of Oct. 30 amid severe weather that has triggered flooding across parts of Spain. Eastern and southern areas of the country, in particular Valencia Autonomous Community, have been worst affected. A storm system has been bringing showers and storms across much of Peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands since Oct. 28 and some areas of Valencia received more than 40 cm (16 inches) of rainfall Oct. 29, triggering flash flooding in affected areas. Flooding has also been affecting parts of Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia and, to a lesser extent, Aragon and Catalonia autonomous communities Oct 29-30.

As of Oct. 30, authorities have confirmed at least 70 fatalities across Valencia Autonomous Community and two fatalities in southeastern Castile-La Mancha Autonomous Community; an unconfirmed number of people remain unaccounted for and the casualty figures could continue to rise, with some areas still inaccessible due to flooding. Parts of Valencia and Castellon provinces in central and northern parts of the Valencia region have been hardest hit by the flooding. Emergency services have rescued hundreds of people trapped by floodwaters and many more are stranded. Many buildings, roads, and other infrastructure have been submerged by the flooding. More than 150,000 people across Valencia are without power and water supply has been disrupted in at least 13 municipalities. In Andalusia Autonomous Community, emergency services have responded to over 1,000 flood-related incidents Oct. 29-30 and around 25 people have been evacuated in Granada Province. The severe weather also caused a train to derail in Alora, Malaga Province, Oct. 29, with no injuries reported in the incident. Some metro lines have been closed on the Barcelona Metro in Catalonia Autonomous Community due to flooding Oct. 30.

Dozens of flights were diverted or canceled at Valencia Airport (VLC) Oct. 29; operations are resuming Oct. 30, but residual disruptions are likely. Delays, diversions, and cancelations were also reported at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport (ALC) Oct. 29. Train services across much of Valencia remain suspended Oct. 30 due to flooded tracks, including services to both Madrid and Barcelona, and many roads across Valencia are closed. The ports of Valencia and Sagunto have reopened Oct. 30 having been closed Oct. 29. Schools and universities in Valencia are closed due to the adverse weather.

The storm system is expected to bring further adverse weather to parts of the country over the coming days. As of Oct. 30, the State Meteorological Agency (Agencia Estatal de Meteorolgia, AEMET) has issued the following weather warnings across the country Oct. 30:

• Red heavy rainfall warnings (the highest level on a three-tier scale): Parts of southwestern Andalusia Autonomous Community.

• Orange heavy rainfall warnings: Parts of eastern and southeastern Andalusia and south-central Catalonia autonomous communities.

• Yellow heavy rainfall and thunderstorm warnings: Much of Catalonia and Navarre and parts of eastern and southern Andalusia, central and northern Aragon, and southern Extremadura autonomous communities, as well as the autonomous city of Ceuta.

Further yellow heavy rainfall and thunderstorm warnings are in place for parts of eastern, northeastern, and southeastern Spain Oct. 31 and persist in far southeastern areas Nov. 1. Authorities will likely issue new alerts or update/rescind existing advisories as weather conditions change over the coming hours and days.

Further sustained heavy rainfall could trigger additional flooding in low-lying communities near rivers, streams, and creeks. Urban flooding is also possible in developed areas with easily overwhelmed stormwater drainage systems. Sites downstream from large reservoirs or rivers may be subject to flash flooding after relatively short periods of intense rainfall. Landslides are possible in hilly or mountainous areas, especially where heavy rain has saturated the soil.

Authorities could issue mandatory evacuation orders for flood-prone communities over the coming days. Disruptions to electricity and telecommunications services are likely where significant flooding or landslides impact utility networks.

Floodwaters and debris flows will likely render some bridges or roadways impassable, impacting overland travel in and around affected areas. Ponding on road surfaces will cause hazardous driving conditions on regional highways. Authorities will probably temporarily close some low-lying routes that become inundated by floodwaters. Flooding will likely block regional rail lines; freight and passenger train delays and cancellations are probable in areas with heavy rainfall and potential track inundation.

Localized business disruptions are likely in low-lying areas; some businesses might not operate at full capacity because of flood damage to facilities, possible evacuations, and some employees' inability to reach work sites.