Spaniards Share Terrifying Accounts of Devastating Floods

“When the water started to rise, it came as a wave,” recalled Guillermo Serrano Pérez, a 21-year-old from Paiporta near Valencia. His experience during Tuesday night’s flash floods was nothing short of harrowing, as the inundation swept through the region, resulting in at least 95 fatalities.

Guillermo was driving on the motorway with his parents when the floodwaters surged. They narrowly escaped by abandoning their car and climbing onto a bridge, witnessing the chaos as the torrent raged below. Despite the persistent heavy rain throughout the day, many, including Guillermo’s family, were caught off guard by the sudden ferocity of the floods.

Earlier that day, around 7:00 AM (06:00 GMT), Spain’s meteorological agency, Aemet, had issued a warning of torrential rain in Valencia. “Be very careful! The danger is extreme! Do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” the agency cautioned on social media, followed by a “maximum red alert.” Throughout the day, authorities released multiple alerts urging people to avoid riverbanks as water levels began to rise dangerously.

By 3:20 PM, images of flooded streets in municipalities like La Fuente and Utiel were shared, and warnings about swelling rivers intensified. However, for many residents, it was already too late to seek safety.

Chiva, located about 20 kilometers away, was one of the first towns to feel the floods’ full impact. A deep ravine running through the town began filling with water after hours of heavy rain. By 6:00 PM, streets transformed into raging rivers, dragging away cars and street furniture with alarming speed. “A very strong downpour came from above very suddenly… and the water rose a metre or a metre and a half in a few minutes,” stated the mayor of nearby Riba-roja de Túria.

As reports of missing individuals surfaced, it became clear that the emergency services were overwhelmed. However, residents criticized the delay in receiving crucial warnings. The civil protection agency did not alert the Valencia region to avoid traveling until after 8:00 PM, over 12 hours after Aemet’s initial alert. Many felt that this late notice denied them the chance to evacuate or seek higher ground as they returned home from work.

Paco, who was driving from Valencia to Picassent, found himself caught off guard as the floodwaters engulfed the roads. He described the water’s speed as “insane,” and recalled struggling to escape his car as it was swept away. “The pressure was tremendous. I managed to get out and grab onto a fence, but the water pushed me against it,” he said.

Patricia Rodríguez from Sedaví also faced the rising waters while driving home from work. She recalled the anxiety of being stuck in traffic as the water began to float cars around her. “We feared the river would burst its banks; we were right in the line of fire,” she explained. With help from another driver, she managed to escape on foot, witnessing a nearby young man carrying a newborn to safety.

Social media illuminated the chaos of the night. A video showed wheelchair-bound residents in a care home in Paiporta, trapped as floodwaters rose to their knees. Rut Moyano, a Benetússer resident, documented her desperate situation on X, pleading for assistance as she sheltered with neighbors on the upper floors of her building. Tragically, one neighbor suffered a heart attack during their ordeal.

As dawn broke, the full extent of the devastation became clear. Streets were littered with wrecked vehicles, destroyed businesses, and mud-coated homes. Juliano Sánchez, a survivor, was rescued after clinging to palm trees for seven hours. “I didn’t want to die,” he recounted. “I held on with all my strength.”

Yet, many were not as fortunate. Numerous individuals remained unaccounted for, while those who survived described feeling powerless against the overwhelming destruction. “We saw two cars swept away by the current; we don’t know if anyone was inside,” a witness lamented. “We’d never seen anything like it.”