Spain Flood: 92 Dead in Economic Central Valencia Region

• The province of Valencia in eastern Spain was affected by heavy, historic rainfall.
• Local emergency services said at least 92 people died in flash flooding in the area.
• The region forms a large part of the Spanish economy, with important automotive and manufacturing industries.

Historic, deadly flash floods in eastern Spain have rocked the region since Tuesday.

Flooding caused by heavy rains killed at least 92 people in the province of Valencia, regional emergency services said in questionsuggests a provisional death toll.

A yellow storm warning is still in effect in the province of Valencia as of Thursday. in question.

Although heavy rains are common in the region in autumn – as part of a phenomenon known as “cold drops” – this was an extreme situation.

According to the Spanish State Meteorological Office AgencyThe state experienced a historic storm, the worst in the 21st century and more intense than any experienced since 1987.

IT in question That Tuesday was the worst day of the storm, but that bad weather would continue throughout the week.

Photos and videos from the area showed brown water flowing through fields, blocking roads and crashing into some residential areas.

The flooding did not seem to have much impact on Valencia, the regional center and Spain’s third largest city.

The owner of Pastisseria Soler, a bakery shop in southern Valencia, described the flood damage as “terrible” in a telephone interview.

The person, who declined to share his identity, told Business Insider that a nearby river overflowed, reaching their street in just 10 minutes. He said power outages meant all stock had to be thrown away.

Insurers are still calculating what the disaster might cost; One initial estimate suggests the cost will easily reach billions of euros.

Per Spanish government briefingThe most important industry in Valencia is automobile construction. He also mentioned chemicals, manufacturing, agri-food and IT.

It was not immediately clear whether specific industries or companies were severely affected by the flooding.

Cristina del Rey, Ford Spain’s communications director, told BI that her company’s Valencia plant was not directly damaged by the flood but will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

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One press conference On Thursday, Spain’s transport minister said it would take three weeks to repair the damaged railway line connecting Valencia to the Spanish capital Madrid.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday in question He said that he was closely following reports that the storm caused missing persons and damage, and that all emergency services were dispatched to respond to the storm.

The temporary death toll from flooding is among the most serious natural disasters in Western Europe in recent years, although not the worst.

Widespread floods that hit Belgium, Germany and surrounding countries in July 2021 caused the death of more than 200 people. Overall, extreme weather conditions in Europe caused economic asset losses estimated at more than $800 billion between 1980 and 2023. European Environment Agency.

According to a report The annual cost of natural disasters, including floods, in Spain will be approximately 940 million euros from 2016 to 2021, according to a statement from the Aon Spain Foundation, a private non-profit foundation that works to prevent and assist with natural disasters in Spain. It is estimated to range between million and 2.5 billion dollars.

in an X to post The mayor of Valencia on Wednesday said the state was facing one of the “most difficult and painful” moments in its history.

One address On Thursday, Sánchez said that all emergency services dispatched were working day and night to find the missing persons and the bodies of the victims and to ensure that all residents could return to their homes as soon as possible.

He called on all citizens to stay at home while the storm continues.

“The most important thing right now is to protect as many lives as possible and ensure as many lives as possible in this dramatic, tragic crisis that we have,” he said.

There is government declared Three days of national mourning from Thursday to Saturday.