Torrent floods leave streets covered in mud after Valencia region deluge
Heavy rainfall in Spain's Valencia region flooded the city of Torrent, damaging vehicles and forcing rescuers to free 15 people trapped in a fast-food restaurant. Residents criticised the late timing of an emergency alert.
Torrential rain has struck Torrent, a city of around 85,000 people in the Horta Sud area near Valencia, leaving streets covered in mud and several vehicles damaged or unusable. Emergency crews rescued 15 people who were trapped inside a fast-food restaurant as floodwater poured in.
Residents question alert timing
Local residents told the AFP news agency that similar flooding has happened in the area before, and criticised the lack of structural measures to prevent it. They also questioned the timing of Spain's ES-Alert emergency warning system. The alert, sent by the regional emergency centre at 10:08 pm, told people to avoid travel, stay away from streams and ravines, and move to upper floors if water levels rose. However, many residents said the warning arrived only after streets, basements and tunnels were already flooded.
Record heat preceded the storms
The downpour followed Spain's hottest summer on record, with national weather agency AEMET and regional meteorologists having warned of heavy rain in eastern parts of the country. In Torrent, the AVAMET monitoring network recorded almost 96 litres of rain per square metre in total, with 71 litres falling in just 30 minutes — a rate described as more than torrential.
The flooding also affected the Barranco del Poyo ravine and nearby areas, including the town of Paiporta, where the watercourse rose significantly but did not overflow. Emergency teams continued clearing damaged roads and removing flood-affected vehicles.
