Deadly floods hit southern, eastern Spain, several missing

Torrential rains battered Spain’s southern and eastern provinces over the weekend, leaving one person dead and two others missing by December 28. Overflowing riverbeds swept away cars and motorcycles, prompting authorities to urge residents to remain indoors.

In Valencia—where catastrophic floods in October 2024 claimed over 220 lives and caused billions of euros in damage—authorities issued red alert warnings to mobile phones in the evening of December 28, advising people to stay on high ground. Eight additional provinces were placed on orange alert, signaling serious risks to life and property and warning citizens to prepare for worsening conditions, Reuters reports.

Last year’s floods in Valencia caught authorities off guard, and delayed warnings sparked widespread criticism of local and national officials, ultimately leading to the resignation of the regional leader.

In Malaga, Spain’s Civil Guard discovered the body of a man whose van was swept away by an overflowing riverbed, according to a post on their X account. A second passenger remains missing.

⚠️🛑 El Riu Magre comença a créixer i eixir-se'n de mare en certs llocs al seu pas per Real (Ribera Alta, València). Moltíssima precaució aigües avall. ⛈️. @avamet @AEMET_CValencia @apuntoratge @Valencia_WX @Tiempo_Valencia @Stormyalert pic.twitter.com/7f1GSaYzYI

— Marc Chermés (@MarcChermes) December 28, 2025

Emergency teams are also searching for a young person in Granada who was swept away while attempting to cross a riverbed on a motorcycle.

In Catalonia, a woman in Barcelona was hospitalized on December 27 after being struck by a lamppost torn down by 70-kilometre-per-hour winds, the regional government’s civil protection agency announced.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as heavy rainfall persists across affected regions, urging residents to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel.

By Vafa Guliyeva