At least five killed by Storm Adam in Spain — The Independent

At least five people have died in Spain as a result of torrential rains and widespread flooding caused by Storm Adam. Rescuers used helicopters to evacuate people stranded on the roofs of buildings, The Independent reports.

Record rainfall

The severe weather hit the eastern part of the country and the Mediterranean coast the hardest. Rivers burst their banks, cutting off several settlements, while streets turned into fast-flowing streams of water.

Spain's state meteorological agency, AEMET, reported “exceptional amounts” of rainfall in the east of the country. In the town of Pego in Alicante province, 632 mm of rain fell over 36 hours. More than 500 mm of rainfall was recorded in several areas of southern Valencia and northern Alicante during the same period.

One of the worst-hit towns was Oliva in Valencia, where 600 litres of water per square metre fell in 24 hours. About 600 people sought assistance at the municipal centre, and 400 local residents spent the night there from Monday to Tuesday.

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Evacuation and restrictions in Ibiza

Over the weekend, the highest red weather alert was declared in several areas. Residents were urged not to travel and to move to higher ground. On Monday morning, stay-at-home orders were in force for 800,000 people, and by the end of the day the number of residents covered by the order had fallen to 87,000 in eight municipalities.

In Ibiza, the main airport suspended operations twice due to flooding. After 60 litres of rainfall per square metre fell there in an hour, 27 flights were cancelled and another 16 were diverted to other airports. On Sunday evening, a 55-year-old woman was swimming with her husband at Almardà beach in Sagunto during an orange warning. She was later found dead on the neighbouring Canet de Berenguer beach.

Warnings remain in effect

The worst phase of the storm has probably already passed, and the situation in Valencia and Alicante is improving. Stay-at-home orders were lifted, while red warnings were downgraded to a lower level. At the same time, according to AEMET, yellow warnings for rain and thunderstorms remained in force on Tuesday in the Empordà region of Catalonia, while an orange alert was in effect in certain areas of the Balearic Islands. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was due to visit Valencia to assess the consequences of the severe weather.