Two Dead, One Missing as Torrential Floods Ravage Spain’s Catalonia

Two people have died and another remains missing after torrential rainfall caused severe flooding across Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, disrupting transport, inundating homes and triggering thousands of emergency operations.

The storms hit parts of Catalonia from Saturday, October 3, with authorities issuing a red weather alert and advising residents to remain indoors as exceptionally heavy rain swept areas around Barcelona and Girona.

Catalan President Salvador Illa confirmed the first death in Tordera, north of Barcelona, where a man was killed after a wall collapsed. Firefighters later confirmed another person died in Montornès del Vallès, while emergency teams searched for a person reportedly swept into the watercourse in nearby Pineda de Mar.

The rainfall flooded homes, garages and roads and left vehicles submerged in several communities. Rail services were disrupted, while flights at Barcelona airport were cancelled or delayed. Shops also closed early, football matches were called off and a performance of Verdi’s Aida at Barcelona’s Liceu opera house was cancelled.

Authorities had issued an emergency alert across 20 counties on Saturday evening, urging residents to suspend travel and other activities from 8pm because of the dangerous conditions. Meteocat weather service director Sarai Sarroca described the system as an exceptional weather event over the Mediterranean and warned that a “mini-hurricane” could move inland.

The scale of the emergency was reflected in the response from firefighters. Catalonia’s authorities said firefighters carried out 2,440 operations, including 226 rescue services, while the regional 112 emergency line received 8,151 calls, mainly concerning flooding, structural risks, rescues and traffic incidents.

The search for the missing person in Pineda de Mar was suspended on Sunday after firefighters and police searched the affected watercourse without success. The operation resumed on Monday as emergency teams continued efforts to locate the person.

By Monday, Catalan authorities had lifted the remaining mobility restrictions in the Alt Empordà and Baix Empordà areas, while warning that locally intense rainfall could still occur in parts of the region. Officials also shifted attention towards clearing damage and restoring affected homes, public facilities and transport routes.

Illa said the worst of the storm had passed but urged residents to remain cautious as recovery efforts began. The flooding has left authorities assessing damage to infrastructure and communities after what officials described as an exceptional rainfall event.

The Catalonia disaster came amid severe weather elsewhere in Spain. A 102-year-old woman also died in Castilla-La Mancha following heavy rain on Saturday, in a separate incident from the two fatalities recorded in Catalonia.