Severe Storms in Catalonia: At Least Three Dead After Flooding

In the municipalities of Madriguera, Pineda de Mar, and Tordera, the floodwaters caused severe damage. Several bridges collapsed, and rail connections between Barcelona and the Costa Brava were interrupted. Heavy rainfall also occurred in Castilla-La Mancha and the Basque Country, although it caused less severe damage there.

Deployment of Rescue Services

The exact number of injured was initially unclear. Hospitals in the Barcelona region treated several dozen people for hypothermia, fractures, and injuries caused by flying debris, according to the regional government. Emergency rooms were operating at full capacity over the weekend.

Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences to the victims' families and announced state aid measures. Elisabet Magias also called on the population to follow the instructions of the rescue services and to avoid flooded areas.

Political Reactions and Warnings

Meteocat warned that further precipitation was possible. Meteorologists spoke of an exceptional event that significantly exceeded the capacity of urban drainage systems. Schools in several municipalities remained closed on Monday, and public transport operated only on a limited basis.

Insurers expected damages in the hundreds of millions of euros. According to initial estimates, the retail, gastronomy, and tourism sectors – already suffering from the late season – were particularly affected. Cleanup operations are expected to take weeks.

Eyewitnesses reported scenes like something out of a disaster movie. Cars were swept away for meters, trees were uprooted, and power poles were snapped. Images of flooded boulevards in central Barcelona spread in real time on social networks.

Economic Consequences and Climate Debate

The fire department urged the public not to enter basements and underground parking garages and warned of potentially contaminated water. The city set up a hotline for relatives of missing persons and expanded its emergency pastoral care capacities.

Climate experts pointed out that extreme weather events in the Mediterranean region have become more frequent in recent years. They cited increasing water temperatures as a driver of more violent storms and drew a connection to climate change.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport reported more than 60 canceled flights on Sunday but was largely able to resume operations over the course of the day. Cruise terminals were temporarily closed, and port operations restarted on a limited basis on Monday.

For the coming days, Meteocat announced calmer weather but cautioned about possible landslides in the saturated hills around Barcelona. Authorities called on residents of several municipalities to temporarily not leave their homes.