Floods in Spain’s Valencia Region Kill Dozens

At least 52 people have died and many others are missing after devastating flash floods hit eastern Spain, according to the local authorities, in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country in recent years.

The floods — which submerged villages, cut off roads and disrupted public transit — were triggered by a heavy deluge on Monday and Tuesday. More than a month’s worth of rain fell in less than 24 hours in some areas across southern and eastern Spain.

Almost all of the deaths confirmed so far by officials were in the eastern region of Valencia. One more woman died in Mira, a small town in the neighboring province of Castile-La Mancha, where at least six other people were missing in the municipality of Albacete, local officials said.

The flood waters swept through homes, sent cars floating down submerged streets and disrupted travel across the eastern part of Spain. Regional trains in Valencia were halted, and schools were also closed in several places.

More than 1,000 soldiers from an emergency response team have been deployed, and officials said that many more residents were waiting for help. The authorities in Valencia said they had created a phone line to report missing people and urged residents not to travel along the still-submerged roads in the area.

Though storms are typical during the fall in Spain, local residents were shocked at the amount of rain — about 40 to 50 gallons per square yard, according to Spain’s meteorological agency. Forecasters said that the storm was moving toward the north and northwest of Spain, with rain expected to continue until at least Thursday.

This is a developing story and will be updated.