TORRENTIAL rain on Spain's east coast has left flash floods that washed cars away and forced emergency services to rescue people by helicopter.
One man has died after his 4x4 vehicle was swept into a river with him in it.
The province of Castellón was hit by 200 litres of rain per square metre (20 centimetres, or eight inches) in just 72 hours between Friday and Monday morning) with homes and shops flooded in Ulldecona, Xert, Fredes, Adzeneta, Vilafranca, Castellfort, Vinaròs and Castellón de la Plana, the provincial capital city.
Its southern neighbour, the province of Valencia took a drenching with 134 litres per square metre (13.4 centimetres of rain, or five-and-a-half inches) in the same period of time in the villages of Barx de la Valldigna and Buñol, and between 35 litres (3.5 centimetres, or an inch and a half) and 74 litres (7.4 centimetres, or three inches) in Turís, Enguera, Xàtiva and Valencia city.
Another downpour hit all three provinces, including Alicante – which escaped the worst of the deluge over the weekend – yesterday (Monday) morning, with up to three inches of rain appearing in less than an hour.
And the river Palancia burst its banks in Sagunto, north of Valencia, led to over 20 cars parked near the banks being washed away.
About another 70 were salvaged in time, but the water was above the level of the bonnet and many have suffered damage.
Firefighters had to rescue three people by helicopter after they became trapped in country homes near Sagunto port and a fourth person from a property close to the river Palancia delta.
A primary school in Nàquera, inland of Valencia was flooded with classrooms several inches deep in water and the electricity going off after leaks got into the system.
Three main roads in the region – in Alcúdia de Veo and in Montán (Castellón province) and the CV-333 in Bétera (Valencia province) were blocked off by rockfalls, and tailbacks on main roads were caused in and around Valencia city.
Several residents in the province of Castellón had to leave their homes as they were a foot deep in rain and the water levels in the street were rising, whilst two people had to be rescued from a house in L'Alcora, 24 properties bailed out – 12 of which were in Benicàssim – and seven people trapped in their cars were air-lifted to safety in Borriana, Cabanes, Alquerías, L'Alcora and Onda.
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