Two missing, flooding, and all trains stopped: the effects of the storm in Catalonia

BarcelonaThe afternoon of downpours closed yesterday with two people missing—who could be a woman and a child—dozens of flooded streets, inundated lowlands, overflowing rivers, and train service halted for more than three hours throughout Catalonia, forcing some 150 commuters to spend the night at Sants station. These are the direct consequences of the storms that swept across Catalonia this Saturday afternoon from the south and northeast. Up to 18 firefighters on land, as well as underwater, worked throughout Saturday to locate two people in Cubelles. The work stopped well into the night and resumed early Sunday morning.

The security forces believe the two missing people could have been swept away by the Foix River, which burst its banks yesterday near this town. However, the fire brigade explained yesterday that they have no record of any missing persons or any calls to 112. The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, explained this Sunday in statements to RAC1 that an eyewitness saw the flood sweep away a woman and a child and that the alert reached that area directly.

Both missing people are, so far, the most serious consequence of the storm that hit Catalonia yesterday afternoon. The heaviest rainfall began at midday in the Terres de l'Ebre and Ponent regions, and as the hours passed, it spread across the country, first reaching Camp de Tarragona and Central Catalonia, and then the Barcelona area and northeastern regions.

The storms were especially torrential and lasted longer in regions such as Bages, Anoia, Baix and Alt Penedès, and parts of the Terres de l'Ebre region. In these areas, many records of between 50 and 100 l/m² were reached, and in some cases, more than 40 l/m² fell in just half an hour. All this accompanied strong winds and some hail or hailstorms.

The 102 l/m² accumulated at the Canaletes station (Alt Penedès) by Meteocat stands out, the wettest day in 23 years of records at this location. A lot of water in a short period of time caused significant flooding and flash floods of rivers and streams, such as the Cardener River as it passes through Súria (Bages), which swept away cars.

Aside from the Foix, rivers such as the Llobregat and the Muga also rose significantly, forcing the ACA (Association of Local Authorities) to activate the danger level. However, in areas such as the northern region of Lleida and between the northern coast of Barcelona and the Costa Brava, it rained much less. All of this was the effect of a pocket of cold air that swept through the country yesterday. Colliding with the accumulated heat and humidity, this small DANA (low-pressure system) caused severe storms and downpours everywhere.

In its wake, the rains left a trail of flooding and mud. In Calafell, for example, residents took to the streets to try to clear the trapped water, which had turned some of the town's streets into veritable rivers.

During the afternoon, the 112 emergency teams received more than a thousand calls, concentrated mainly between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., with 301 alerts, the majority originating in the southern metropolitan region. By municipality, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Vilafranca del Penedès were two of the municipalities that suffered the most from the effects of the rain. Vilanova i la Geltrú received 53 calls and Vilafranca, 35. The Vilafranca hospital suffered flooding in the lower part of the hospital: the hospital's laboratories were severely damaged. For much of the afternoon, the emergency room was unable to operate normally, and it was eventually forced to close and distribute patients to other centers. Similar situations also occurred in Igualada, Súria, and Solsona.

In the mid-afternoon, the President of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa, convened the crisis committee to monitor the status and progress of the storm in Catalonia. All emergency officials, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Meteocat, regional delegates, and councilors involved were summoned to the meeting. In a message on the social network X Isla, he urged "maximum caution."

Commuter trains, stopped

The downpour also severely affected mobility throughout the country. Renfe decided to halt train service throughout Catalonia for safety reasons and in accordance with Civil Protection recommendations. This affected commuter and regional trains, medium- and long-distance trains, and also high-speed trains, causing overcrowding at various stations, particularly Barcelona Sants station, one of which was kept open to provide shelter for passengers. The outage lasted just over three hours, and starting at 7 p.m., with the weather improving, trains gradually resumed service.

However, around 150 people had to spend the night at Barcelona Sants station, where the Catalan Red Cross assisted them, according to Civil Protection.

The rain also affected roads. According to the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), the N-340 was closed in both directions at Santa Margarida and Els Monjos; the C-17 lost its northbound lane due to fallen trees; and on the AP-7, traffic jams of more than 9 kilometers were generated between Olèrdola and Castellet and Gornal, due to the presence of vehicles stopped on the hard shoulder. There were also landslides on the TV-3301 in Prat de Comte and the C-16z in Puig-reig, which were also closed.

Leisure and culture affected

After receiving mobile phone alerts from Civil Protection warning of the maximum alert, several city councils, organizations, and institutions decided to suspend their cultural and leisure activities. Barcelona City Council, for example, activated the Municipal Emergency Action Plan in response to the forecast of heavy rains in the city and suspended all planned outdoor activities. The Tibidabo amusement park, the Zoo, and Parc Güell were also closed.

The ban on outdoor activities also had a direct impact on all major festivals and cultural events, on a summer weekend packed with events. Several festivals, such as Cruïlla, postponed or rescheduled concerts and shows, while others, such as the Porta Ferrada Festival and the Peralada Festival, had to cancel concerts and refund ticket prices to customers.

This Sunday, the weather will be radically different, with plenty of sunshine and calm, and only a few light afternoon showers in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees.