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CatastropheSpain

Spain floods: Barcelona on high alert amid Valencia searches

November 4, 2024

Red alerts have been issued for the cities of Barcelona and Tarragona, with local transport suspended in many areas. In Valencia, thousands of troops were deployed following deadly flash floods last week.

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A man takes shelter from the rain with an umbrella, on November 4, 2024, in Badalona, Barcelona, Cataluna Espana.
Heavy rains are now an issue to the north of the worst-hit areas earlier this week, around BarcelonaImage: Kike Rincón/Europa Press/IMAGO

Barcelona was on high alert on Monday as downpours lashed the Spanish city just days after flash floods killed at least 217 people in the coastal region of Valencia.

Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said he was suspending all commuter trains in northeast Catalonia, home to some 8 million inhabitants. Puente added that a landslide had caused traffic to become severely backed up on a local highway.

Flights to and from Barcelona Airport were canceled, delayed and diverted as Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) placed the city of Tarragona, south of Barcelona on red alert for torrential rain.

Mobile phones for those living on the southern outskirts of the city were sent messages that warned of "extreme and continued rainfall" and residents were advised to avoid normally dry canals and gorges.

Dozens of people at Barcelona El Prat airport, on November 4, 2024, in El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Cataluna Spain. The airport has diverted 12 flights due to the rains..
Several flights were diverted from Barcelona's airport in response to the heavy rainsImage: Kike Rincón/Europa Press/IMAGO

Some 150 educational institutions in the area canceled classes for the day.

In a post on social media site X, Spain's national weather service AEMET published a map of the areas on alert:

Angry residents chant 'murderer' at Spanish king

Rescue workers were still rushing to comb through mud and debris in Valencia, searching for bodies inside houses and buildings hit by the flooding late last week. The Spanish military said about 10,000 troops and police had been dispatched to help the rescue and clean-up operations.

On Sunday, angry residents of Valencia threw mud and chanted "murderer" at Spain's King Felipe VI, asking why nothing had been done to protect their city from the destruction. 

Furious flood survivors hurl mud at Spanish royals

More midweek football matches postponed

A number of Copa del Rey first round matches were furthed postponed following the flooding in Valencia.

Valencia's game against Parla Escuela and Real Sociedad's visit to Jove Espanol were among those moved for a second time. Valencia had been scheduled to play the postponed game as early as Wednesday, but it's now been moved to November 26.

Meanwhile, several La Liga managers had criticized the decision not to cancel all La Liga matches over the weekend, instead of only Valencia's clash against champions Real Madrid and Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday that there was no enthusiasm in Spain to play football at the moment.

Over the weekend, Barcelona's German head coach Hansi Flick said if it was up to him he would have cancelled the whole round of games while Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said it made "no sense" to play matches.

Players of Barcelona and Espanyol stand in the center of the pitch during a minutes silence
La Liga matches held a minute's silence over the weekend in honor of the Valencia flooding victimsImage: Joan Monfort/AP Photo/picture alliance

es, km/msh (AP, dpa)