Images from Spain of cars piled on top of each other have surfaced on social media following unprecedented downpour, resulting in immense flooding in southeastern areas of the country.
The deluge, which appeared in just a few hours as it began to rain late Tuesday, has resulted in at least 95 deaths and even more missing persons, according to officials. Some cities saw as much as a foot of rain, which is how much rainfall some Spanish cities, such as Chiva, expect to receive over the course of an entire year, according to AEMET, the country's meteorological agency.
⛈️Lluvias registradas el 29 de octubre.
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) October 30, 2024
Acumulaciones extraordinarias en la provincia de Valencia: se llegaron a superar 300 l/m² en la zona entre Utiel y Chiva.
En Chiva, de hecho, se recogieron 491 l/m² en solo ocho horas: prácticamente lo que puede llover en un año completo. pic.twitter.com/3a3Z5flP8i
The rainstorm, which caused a red alert to be issued for the city of Jerez and orange alerts for the cities of Barcelona, Cádiz and Seville, swept many vehicles away, piling them up in alleyways, according to the Washington Post. Social media users pointed out that the scenes from rain-affected areas in Spain looked truly dystopian.
"That looks like something out of a Godzilla movie," commented a Reddit user on one viral image of vehicles clustered together in the aftermath of the flooding.
"This is so devastating. the power of nature is really undeniable," concurred another.
"I live here in Valencia. I'm in the city. We all were relatively unscathed compared to the pueblos outside the city. Many of them just a few minutes drive from where I live. It is complete and utter devastation," commented one Reddit user. "There is an ikea that I go to 10 mins from my house that the ground floor is completely under water and people are still stuck inside. Thank goodness the shopping area is on the 2nd floor."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez assured those searching for missing loved ones that they would be provided with aid and assistance, as well as promising flood-relief for badly affected areas.
"The whole of Spain weeps with you," he said, addressing those hit particularly badly by the inclement weather.
"We're going to help with all the resources of the state," Sánchez reiterated in a televised address.
Originally published by Latin Times.
