TRACKING DESTRUCTION
Spain floods map reveals areas worst hit by deadly torrential downpours after a YEAR’S worth of rain in just eight hours
It is the worst flood-related natural disaster to hit Spain in almost 30 years
A NEW map of the horrific floods in Spain reveal which areas were hit the worst by torrential downpours.
One region in the south suffered an incredible year's worth of rain in just eight hours - with at least 72 people so far confirmed dead.
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Torrential downpours beginning on Tuesday have devastated the country - turning streets into raging rapids, trapping people in cars and buildings and sparking mammoth emergency efforts.
Valencia, on the eastern coast, was one of the regions hit hardest in the floods with towns like Turis and Utiel recording up to 200m of rainfall.
Trains to cities Madrid and Barcelona were cancelled with areas north-east of Gibraltar showing high levels of rainfall.
The horrific flooding eased as it moved inland, with capital Madrid experiencing less than areas along the coast, according to the weather map by Spain's meteorological agency AEMET.
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Meanwhile Chiva, a town near Valencia, was pummelled by more than a year's worth of rain in just eight hours.
Tourist hotspot Malaga appeared caught between two hotspots of heavy rainfall to its north and west.
And there are fears the Cirat-Vallat dam - in Castellon, north of Valencia, could burst with officials putting out a warning after they couldn't open the gates.
The nearby town of Vila-real activated its emergency protocol, ordering those with houses near the Mijares River to evacuate.
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Local mayor of town Utiel told national broadcaster RTVE that people there were "trapped like rats".
President of Carlos Mazon - another region in Valencia - said today: "There are bodies and bodies continuing to appear in places we hadn’t been able to access before."
Rescue efforts are ongoing with over 1,000 soldiers deployed to the areas worst affected.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave an emergency briefing this morning and warned that more storms could be coming.
He said: "Our thoughts go out to those whose homes and possessions have been devastated and whose lives have been covered in mud.
"We are united and we will rebuild your streets and your squares and bridges. Spain will be with you."
It is the worst flood-related natural disaster to hit Spain in almost 30 years with at least four children included in the death toll.
In 1996, 87 people died and 180 were injured in flooding near Biesca in the Pyrenees.
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FLOOD HORROR
In Massannassa, on Valencia’s outskirts, a man died after getting trapped in a lift as he made his way to a flooded underground car park beneath his apartment to check on his vehicle.
Around 600 people were trapped in the Bonaire mall, Valencia’s largest shopping centre last night, after ground-floor flooding.
Drivers posted videos showing the horrific conditions on the roads, with many abandoning their vehicles as the water rose.
A taxi driver called Paco was hit by a wall of water with "brutal" force while driving on the outskirts of Valencia city.
He said: “We were heading along a road leading to the CV-36 motorway and as we got to a roundabout before we reached it, we saw people warning us to turn round.
“We turned back but in a question of seconds a massive amount of water appeared.
“It was impossible to get out of the car. A torrent of water smashed my taxi against barriers at the side of the road and I couldn’t move.
“We spent three hours on top of the lorry trailer before the water levels started to descend and we could reach safety.”
Emergency services workers backed by drones were looking through buildings as they sought to find trapped residents.
In some places, rescue services used helicopters to lift people from houses and cars to safety.
The entire province of Valencia - which has a resident population of nearly 5.5 million - were told they should avoid any travel yesterday evening with emergency mobile warnings.
Meanwhile, Letur's mayor Sergio Marin described the situation as “catastrophic” as firefighters and police on the ground and in a helicopter searched for four people said to be “unaccounted for.”
Marin told Spanish TV: “We couldn’t have predicted anything like this was going to happen. It’s a major catastrophe."
Other locals haven't been able to reach loved ones.
One woman told the Loli television programme that she hadn't spoke to her 25-year-old son since 10pm last night.
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She said: "He sent me a photo of water entering his car and everything flooded.
"I just want him to phone me or his dad or his girlfriend and say, ‘I’m okay.’ He’s only 25, he’s got his whole life ahead of him."
Why was Spain hit by flooding?
Spain was hit by flash floods after the east of the country was hit by a meteorological phenomena known as a 'DANA'.
A DANA, or a 'cold drop' is technically a system where there is an isolated depression in the atmosphere is at high levels.
In layman's terms, more warm and moist Mediterranean air than usual was sucked high into the atmosphere after a cold system hit the country from the south.
The easterly wind then pushed all those clouds and rain into eastern Spain.
Three to four months of rain fell in some places over the space of 24 hours.
The DANA system hit southern Spain as it arrived from Morocco yesterday and is now expected to head west over southern Portugal.
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