The search for missing people in areas affected by heavy rains in Valencia resumed on Thursday morning, where at least 92 people lost their lives. Thousands of members of military emergency forces, as well as thousands of private security personnel, firefighters and police officers, are participating in search and rescue operations. The Valencian regional government announced an initial 250 million euro ($270 million) aid plan, including 6,000 euros ($6,510) in direct aid to each victim, transport subsidies and housing. Includes support for reconstruction. Meanwhile, the weather front remains active, with two areas in particular under threat of heavy rain on Thursday. In the northeast, the northern province of Castellón and southern Tarragona are under an orange alert, while the southwest is under a yellow alert. It was issued in the provinces of Cádiz, Huelva and Seville in Andalusia, and throughout the province of Extremadura in western Spain.
In Castellón’s Maestrazgo region, heavy rains of up to 300 liters per square meter fell in some areas in a few hours. Thousands of people are still without power, and the material damage is immeasurable. Many roads in Valencia remain cut off, with thousands of cars stranded after being washed away by floodwaters, and high-speed trains between Madrid and Valencia and the Mediterranean Corridor to Barcelona have also been suspended. , most commuter services have also been suspended. train in town. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and opposition Popular Party leader Alberto Nuñez Feijo will visit the affected areas on Thursday. It has been three days since nationwide mourning was declared.
As the clearing of flooded mud begins in many Valencian towns, Spain’s Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that new bodies have been discovered, raising concerns that the death toll is rising and dozens of people are missing. Provided a morgue. To help find the bodies, the Ministry of Defense mobilized aviation personnel, military psychologists and trained dogs. Videos of torrents of water sweeping away cars and people quickly went viral on messaging apps and social media. However, these clips also played an important role in locating the trapped people and aided security forces in their operations.
Image taken by the European Union’s Copernicus satellite on October 31st. Showing areas of Valencia affected by the weather front. European Union, Copernicus Sentinel 3 images
Mr Sanchez urged the public to “remain vigilant” as weather events continue to wreak havoc across the country. Dozens of people spent Wednesday night stranded in trucks and cars, climbed onto the roofs of stores and gas stations, and remained trapped in cars on impassable roads until they were rescued.
Spain’s King Felipe VI expressed his condolences to the families of those affected and warned of the "huge destruction” of infrastructure and goods caused by the storm. “Access to some areas remains difficult and we do not have complete information about the extent of the attack or possible casualties,” he said from Gran Canaria, where he was participating in air defense exercises. said. “I feel relieved knowing that the authorities and emergency services will do everything possible.”
Valencian Prime Minister Carlos Mazon said rescue efforts were hampered by the complete impossibility of contacting those in need. Firefighters and local police were joined by members of the Military Emergency Unit (UME). Even security forces faced difficulties. The Civil Guard barracks in Paiporta waited anxiously all night for news that two of its personnel were missing. On Thursday, one agent and the partner of another agent were reported dead.
Mazon said there were no longer any “rescuable people visible from the air” who had taken shelter on rooftops or the roofs of cars.
The scale of the flooding currently occurring in Valencia, Spain is immeasurable. This is a video from Chiba. An astonishing 343mm of rain was recorded there between 4.30pm and 8.30pm, just four hours earlier today.
Video credit: Nalabcer pic.twitter.com/WdCgUifavQ
— Nahel Bergelze (@WxNB_) October 29, 2024
In the Valencian region, the heaviest rains have affected the interior of Valencia, with some roads closed and similar conditions reported in Teruel, Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha, although many rail services are The service is still suspended. Some highways had reopened by Thursday morning, but authorities advised people to avoid using cars if possible.
Extreme weather is the result of gota furia, which literally means “cold drop.” This term is used in Spain to describe the sudden drop in temperature along the east coast caused by the arrival of very cold polar air. According to the initial assessment provided by the state meteorological office (Aemet) in the Comparable.
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