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

BarcelonaThe afternoon of downpours ended with two missing people—who could be a woman and a child—dozens of flooded streets, inundated lowlands, rivers in flood, and the train service halted for more than three hours throughout Catalonia, forcing around 150 commuters to spend the night at Sants station. In the afternoon, they swept Catalonia from the south and northeast. Up to 18 firefighters on land, as well as underwater, worked throughout the day on Saturday to locate two people in Cubelles. The alert did not come through 112; rather, a person alerted the fire brigade on site directly. They saw how the flood swept away a woman and a child, but the police have not received any reports of missing persons. (58), the majority due to flooding in garages and low-rise buildings; followed by the northern metropolitan area (14), due to minor flooding and fallen trees; the other due to fallen trees; and those of Tarragona (2), Penedès (10) and Vilanova i la Geltrú (7). Furthermore, the emergency telephone number 112 has received 1,727 calls up to seven in the morning.

This would be, so far, the most serious consequence of the storm that hit Catalonia this afternoon. The heaviest part of the rain 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 have been especially torrential and have 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 have been recorded, and in some cases more than 40 l/m² have fallen in just half an hour. All this with 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 has caused significant flooding and flash floods of rivers and streams, such as the Cardener River as it passes through Súria (Bages), which has swept away cars.

Aside from the Foix, rivers such as the Llobregat and the Muga have also risen 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, there has been little rain.

All of this has been the effect of a pocket of cold air that has fully crossed the country. Colliding with the accumulated heat and humidity, this small DANA has caused severe storms and downpours everywhere. In its wake, the rains have left a trail of flooding and mud. In Calafell, for example, residents have taken 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., when up to 301 alerts were registered, the majority originating in the southern metropolitan region. By municipality, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Vilafranca del Penedès are two of the municipalities that have suffered the most from the effects of the rain. Vilanova has received 53 calls and Vilafranca, 35. The Vilafranca hospital has suffered flooding in its lower floors: the hospital's laboratories were severely damaged. For much of the afternoon, the emergency room was unable to operate normally, and it finally had to close at 7:30 p.m. Patients have been distributed to other centers. Similar events have 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 has also severely affected mobility throughout the country. Renfe has decided to halt train service throughout Catalonia for safety reasons and following Civil Protection recommendations. This has affected both 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 as of 7:00 p.m., with the weather improving, trains have gradually resumed service.

However, Renfe's suspension of trains has forced 150 people to spend the night at Barcelona Sants station, where the Catalan Red Cross assisted them, according to Civil Protection.

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

Leisure and culture affected

After receiving mobile phone alerts from Civil Protection warning of the maximum alert, several city councils, organizations, and institutions have 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 Park Güell have also been closed.

The ban on outdoor activities has also directly affected all local festivals and cultural events, on a summer weekend packed with events. Several festivals, such as Cruïlla, have postponed or rescheduled concerts and shows, while others, such as the Porta Ferrada Festival and the Peralada Festival, have 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.