More than 95 people dead in Spain’s devastating floods

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TRANSCRIPT
Massive rainfall has caused chaos and devastation across Spain, leaving at least 95 people dead and several others injured.
The eastern region of Valencia was the most hard-hit by the storm, receiving as much as a year’s worth of rain in around eight hours.
Local residents climbed to the top of their vehicles or the rooftops of houses to avoid being carried away by the floodwater that filled the city streets.
Amelia Sebastian, one of the residents whose house was affected by the floods, describes the scenes.
“My house is devastated. Water was up to my waist. We haven’t slept in the whole night, we can’t find the car, we don’t know where it is. It was catastrophic. On top of that, this area is turning into a basin so there was no way to bail out water. Very bad. I walked into the patio, the house and they are completely filled (with mud).”
The heavy rain destroyed parts of bridges and other infrastructure, which were carried away by the flood, blocking streets and major highways.
The weather also affected power supply, with electricity supplier i-DE reporting that at least 150,000 of its clients lost power.
Major flooding covered affected farms across Valencia, which provides over 60 per cent of Spain’s annual orange produce.
Trains from Valencia to Madrid and Barcelona were cancelled, while officials have said schools and other essential services will remain closed in the hardest-hit areas.
Dennis Hlavaty, another witness of the deadly storms, says he had to struggle to stay above ground.
“I work in the BP gas station in Massanassa (municipality near Valencia) and it’s a river that came through. The doors were torn away and I spent the night there, surrounded by water that was two metres deep. I stayed on the top of a shelf, the only one left as the whole gas station had disappeared.”
The bad weather also affected other regions across the country, with the regional weather service in Catalonia issuing a red alert for strong winds and hail.
Meteorologists also warned of more bad weather for the southern parts of Andalusia, with the town of Jerez [[heh-ress]] being placed on high alert.
Emergency services in Andalusia and Valencia have urged local residents to remain at home and not travel unnecessarily for the next few days.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says his government is working to support all those affected by the storms.
 “We stand by those who have seen their homes flooded, their personal belongings destroyed, and their lives covered in mud. I know that behind the damage there are decades of effort and life projects turned today into total uncertainty. But, again, we will help you out. With all the resources from the state and, if needed, the European Union. So you can move forward and rebuild your homes and your lives as soon as possible.”
Mr Sanchez has offered condolences to the families of all those who died in the floods.
“I want to transmit from the Spanish government, and I am sure from the whole of Spain, all our solidarity and affection towards the relatives of those who have died during this tragedy. In the autonomous regions of Valencia and Castilla la Mancha.”
The King of Spain, Felipe VI ((6th)), also shared his thoughts for the victims of the deadly storms.
“Alongside the Queen, we want to express our condolences to all families that have lost loved ones. In some cases, they don’t know yet what has happened to their relatives. I’ve been in touch with the Prime Minister a few minutes ago and the regional presidents of the Valencia, Andalusia and Castilla la Mancha autonomous regions.”
Meteorologists have described the storm as the worst in the last three decades, with some parts of Valencia recording more than 400 millimetres of rain.
It is the deadliest flood to hit Spain since 1996, when 87 people died at the Central Pyrenees mountains.
Scientists have warned that these types of weather events could become more frequent across Europe due to climate change.
Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading [[redding]], Hannah Cloke, says authorities must better inform people of the dangers they face.
 “We’re going to see more of these flash floods in the future. This has the fingerprints of climate change on it, these terribly heavy rainfalls and these devastating floods. We must help people understand the danger they’re in, we must help people understand, imagine these volumes of water running through their streets and into their homes. Just telling people that it’s going to rain quite a lot is not good enough, people don’t understand what to do, they don’t have the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe.”