Woman found dead near Barcelona, and Valencia rain tops 200 liters Sunday
A woman swept away by a flooded stream near Barcelona on Saturday was found dead in the sea on Sunday, El Periódico and Ara reported. In southern Valencia, more than 200 liters of rain per square meter, about 8 inches, fell in some towns, ABC and El Debate reported. A red alert stays in place until Monday.
A woman who was swept away by a flooded stream in Cabrera de Mar, near Barcelona, on Saturday evening was found dead on Sunday morning, El Periódico and Ara reported. Her body was found in the sea near the breakwater of the port of Premià de Mar, El Periódico and Ara reported. She was trying to cross the stream with her family after leaving the town's sports hall, El Periódico and Ara reported. The stream "came down suddenly and with force" after 60 liters of rain fell in 40 minutes, Cabrera de Mar's mayor, Òscar Fernández, said, El Periódico reported (translated from Catalan). Cabrera de Mar and Malgrat de Mar will hold official mourning and a minute of silence on Monday, Ara reported.
In the Valencia region, more than 200 liters of rain per square meter, or about 8 inches, fell in several towns in La Safor, ABC and El Debate reported. By 7 PM local time Sunday (1 PM ET), a local reading of 246.2 liters in Barx was the highest, ABC reported. Earlier in the day, El Debate put Rafelcofer at 230 liters, citing the stations of the Valencian Meteorology Association. In Xàbia, 50 liters fell in half an hour, and many people were trapped in cars in water more than half a meter deep, regional emergencies chief Juan Carlos Valderrama said, ABC reported.
The regional emergency center handled 298 incidents from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening, most of them in Alicante province, ABC reported. About 50 towns called off Monday classes for more than 87,000 students, ABC reported. The red alert for southern Valencia and northern Alicante runs until at least 10 AM Monday (4 AM ET), ABC reported. Valderrama warned that a repeat of Sunday's rain would mean more than 400 liters in 24 hours on ground that is already wet, ABC reported.
Samuel Biener, a meteorologist at the private weather service Meteored, said the slow-moving clouds were making little lightning but were "very efficient" (translated from Spanish). Totals of more than 300 to 400 liters are "relatively common" in this part of the Gulf of Valencia in such setups, he said. He expects the heavy rain to move north on Monday, with calmer and warmer weather from Monday night.
The storm, a cut-off low named Adam, put the area under Spain's highest rain alert from Sunday morning, RTVE and La Vanguardia reported.
What we know: The missing woman in Cabrera de Mar was found dead, and more than 200 liters of rain fell in parts of southern Valencia.
What we don't: How much more rain will fall overnight and how much damage the floods have caused.
Where outlets agree ABC and El Debate report more than 200 liters of rain per square meter in parts of southern Valencia, and El Periódico and Ara report that the woman swept away in Cabrera de Mar was found dead.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.