The storm caused flooding in the Valencian Community after passing through Catalonia.

Barcelona / ValenciaAfter passing through Catalonia without serious incidents, the storm is causing some flooding in the Valencian Community, where levels have already exceeded 350 liters per square meter in cities such as Gandia. The main downpours are occurring along the Valencian coastline, where rainfall is not constant but is torrential. Particularly notable are municipalities such as Oliva, Xeraco, Cullera, and Sueca, where several streets were flooded this afternoon. However, the fact that the storm is affecting towns near the sea—where rivers and gullies drain their water quickly—would rule out scenarios similar to those of last October's DANA, when the downpours were localized inland.

In the case of Catalonia, the situation has improved. This was announced by the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, on Monday morning: she stated that the "worst" of the rainy season in the Terres de l'Ebre region had already occurred and there had been no serious incidents. However, Parlon warned that Civil Protection will be on alert throughout the day. During these hours, it has rained heavily, with record-breaking accumulations of water. At around 4 p.m., Civil Protection sent a mobile phone alert in Montsià and Baix Ebre to inform that classes will resume this Tuesday in the two regions after having been suspended on Monday due to downpours. Approximately 25,000 children in 100 different schools have been affected. However, the message also emphasizes that although the intensity of the rain is decreasing, it may still rain, and urges people to remain cautious until Tuesday morning.

Parlon and Santi Segalà, head of the Forecasting Department of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, also urged everyone not to "let their guard down." "When it rains on wet ground, it's important to remain alert," said the minister, who urged "caution." Parlon reiterated that there are no serious impacts, but there are some flooded ground floors and a series of open incidents, mainly related to the electricity supply in La Galera, where some 625 customers are without power. Likewise, a generator has been moved to the Baix Ebre 1 industrial estate in Campredó, and Endesa has 23 teams on the ground to work once the situation returns to normal. Among the incidents attended to, one was at the Amposta CAP (Central Emergency Medical Service) facility, which suffered water leaks and suspended scheduled activities.

Roads reopened

At the same time, the roads in Montsià and Baix Ebre have returned to normal this afternoon after some incidents and road closures caused by heavy rains. The 112 emergency line received 131 calls, resulting in 112 reports. Almost half of these calls originated in Montsià. To warn the public and prevent risky situations, Civil Protection sent several ES-Alert messages to mobile phones in the regions of Montsià, Baix Ebre, and Terra Alta, as well as to towns on the northern coast of Castellón and the coast of the province of Valencia. Following the storm, the Catalan Meteorological Service lowered the torrential rain alert for Baix Ebre and Montsià to orange level, specifically to level 3 out of 6. On Sunday, the alert had been set at 5 out of 6.

The Amposta automatic station has already recorded 290 liters per square meter since Sunday at noon. and the Alfacs station, 194. These two stations have recorded today the wettest day in the more than 30 years of record keeping. Also noteworthy is the record at the Mas de Barberans station, where power was lost for several hours, with 209 liters per square meter, or the 148 at L'Aldea, according to Xavi Segura. In terms of intensities, the rains have left torrential records of 52.4 liters per square meter in half an hour in Amposta and 27.6 in L'Aldea, according to Meteocat. The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation has also reported the possibility of flooding in the Pixadors, Vinaixarop, and Rocacorba ravines in the Baix Ebre.

The nearly 300 liters per square meter that have fallen in Amposta since Sunday have left areas of the city with a lot of accumulated water. "In the lower area, we flood three times a year. Since the water flows unchanneled through the streets, the main irrigation ditch can't keep up, the system collapses, and a foot of water enters the reservoir," Marc Conesa, one of the affected residents, told ACN. Conesa explained that the situation occurs every time it rains more than 60 liters and called on the city council to immediately carry out the works, which are scheduled to begin before the end of the year. The city's mayor, Adam Tomàs, stated that they will request the declaration of a disaster area.

Overflow of the Saleta ravine

In the case of the Valencian Community, the alert is also high (red this Monday in the Valencia region and orange for tomorrow, Tuesday), and the suspension of classes has been decreed for the second consecutive day in municipalities of l'Horta Sud, Ribera Alta and Baixa, and smaller towns that also belong administratively to the city of Valencia. Although the exact figure is still unknown, it will be lower than this Monday, when 239 municipalities canceled their teaching activities, affecting 536,851 students. The reason for the difference is that this Tuesday, in the Castellón region, classes resume.

So far, the most significant rainfall has occurred in the Safor region this Tuesday morning, with accumulated rainfall of 356.8 liters l/m² in Gandía, according to the Valencian Meteorological Association (Avamet). During the same period, 283 liters per square meter were recorded in Pinet, in the Vall d'Albaida region, 275.4 in Barx (at the Drova observatory), and 190.2 in Rafelcofer, also in the Safor region.

In the afternoon, the highest accumulations were recorded in Ribera Baixa, with 54 l/m² in Sueca in just one hour. During this period, 27.2 liters were recorded in Cullera, while in four hours Sueca recorded 115.6 l/m² and Cullera, 64.4 l/m². The mayor of the city, Julián Sáez, explained that the downpours have "left many streets completely flooded, with water entering basements, ground floors, and garages." "Luckily, the sewers are draining well, and the prior cleaning is working, and little by little the accumulated water level is going down. It seems that the situation is calming down so far," he concluded.

For his part, the mayor of Cullera, Jordi Mayor, stated on the regional television station À Punt that the downpour this afternoon was "historic," aggravated by strong gusts of wind, and rocks dragged from the mountain have fallen in some streets. However, so far there are no reports of personal injuries.

In the late afternoon, the heaviest rainfall moved north, affecting the city of Valencia. 20 liters of water have accumulated in just 20 minutes in its coastal neighborhoods. In fact, the downpours have disrupted metro traffic in several parts of the city's metropolitan area.

Although the rainfall was not the heaviest, the area perhaps most frightening was at night in the municipality of Aldaia, in the Valencian region of l'Horta Sud—the area hardest hit by the DANA (rainstorming event) 11 months ago—where the Saleta ravine overflowed its banks. The rainfall—57 liters per square meter in just 35 minutes, according to Avamet—caused tense moments throughout the night, although no one had to be evacuated because the flood barriers and pipelines "did their job," Aldaia's mayor, Guillermo Luján, told Efe. During the early hours of the morning, the Castellón coast and pre-coastline were the hardest hit. The Espadán mountain range was particularly affected, with around 174 liters per square meter in Eslida.

The downpours have also caused occasional road closures on 11 roads, delays in rail traffic and flights, and the cancellation of four flights at Valencia Airport. In the Castellón region, firefighters have carried out eight operations. Two of the services involved rescuing people trapped inside their vehicles due to flooding, in the municipalities of Sant Jordi and Onda. To safeguard worker safety, large companies in the Valencian Community such as Ford and Consum have halted their operations this Monday.