Spain orders residents indoors as torrential rains flood Mediterranean coast

Spanish authorities ordered residents in southern Valencia and northern Alicante to remain indoors Monday as torrential rains caused widespread flooding, with two deaths reported and emergency rescues underway. The flooding was triggered by a weather system named Adam, a high-altitude depression that brought exceptionally heavy rainfall to Spain's Mediterranean coast. Some areas recorded more than 700 liters of rain per square meter since Sunday, equivalent to 27.8 inches of rainfall. The municipality of Forna reported 718 liters per square meter, or 28.3 inches, in just over 24 hours. Emergency crews used boats to rescue people trapped in flooded homes in Oliva, while helicopters were deployed to reach residents stranded on rooftops and in vehicles in northern Alicante. Two women died in incidents linked to the storm. One died Sunday night after entering the sea at a beach in Sagunt, Valencia. Emergency crews found the body of another woman in the sea near Barcelona on Sunday, about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from where she disappeared after being swept away by a flooded stream in Cabrera de Mar on Saturday. Juan Carlos Valderrama, Valencia's regional emergency minister, said a powerful coastal storm was worsening the flooding. He said waves reaching 4 meters (13 feet) were preventing swollen rivers from draining normally into the Mediterranean Sea. At least six towns along the coast between Gandia and Oliva were cut off by flooding, according to government representative Pilar Bernabe. In the Alicante town of Pego, Mayor Enrique Moll warned that residents were stranded and emergency crews could not reach some of the worst-affected areas. "We have people on the rooftops of houses. We are witnessing horrifying scenes," Moll told Spanish public broadcaster RNE. He said conditions were particularly critical in areas with scattered residential properties, where neither the Military Emergency Unit nor firefighting crews could reach those trapped. More than 100,000 students were affected by school closures, including approximately 81,000 in Valencia province and 22,000 in Alicante. The Interior Ministry reported 24 road closures across six provinces. Rail operator Renfe suspended two commuter train lines in Valencia and offered passengers free ticket changes and cancellations. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and remain on upper floors of buildings in affected areas. Spain's meteorological agency Aemet lifted its highest-level red rainfall warning for southern Valencia and northern Alicante at 10 am local time (0800GMT) Monday. Orange and yellow warnings remained in effect across large parts of Spain's Mediterranean coast. Authorities warned that the danger had not passed, with swollen rivers and continued rainfall posing further flooding risks.