CATALONIA, Spain — Torrential rains pounding Spain’s northeastern coast have unleashed severe flooding, trapping motorists in submerged vehicles and prompting a red alert across Catalonia’s Tarragona province, according to BBC News.
The deluge driven by Storm Alice sweeping across the western Mediterranean turned streets into rivers overnight. Videos posted online show walls of muddy water surging through La Ràpita and Santa Bàrbara, sweeping away cars, debris, and anything in their path.
Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, issued its highest-level red alert for the region, warning that rainfall could exceed 180 millimeters (7 inches) in just 12 hours. The agency cautioned that the most intense downpours could continue through the night.
“The situation is complicated, and more rain is forecast,” said Cristina Vicente, a senior official at Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency, urging residents in the low-lying Ebro Delta to stay indoors and avoid driving.
Transport links have ground to a halt. Train services between Barcelona and Valencia — a major route along Spain’s Mediterranean corridor — have been suspended indefinitely as crews assess flood damage. Motorways and local roads in southern Tarragona remain waterlogged, with emergency workers rescuing several drivers from trapped vehicles.
While no fatalities have been reported, authorities are bracing for worsening conditions as rainfall continues. Civil Protection teams are working through the night, reinforcing riverbanks and monitoring overflow zones.
In recent days, Storm Alice has also battered southeastern Spain and the Balearic Islands, flooding streets in Mallorca and Ibiza. The storm, fed by warm Mediterranean air and a low-pressure system, is expected to weaken gradually — but not before leaving much of Spain’s coast drenched and disrupted.
