Dana Adam dumps historic rain on Valencia coast as four die
Storm Dana Adam dumped historic rain on southern Valencia and northern Alicante on Monday, killing at least four people. Spain's weather service cut the red alert to orange and yellow but warned of risk through Tuesday. A University of Alicante climatologist said the storm's core stalled over the coast.
Storm Dana Adam brought historic rain to southern Valencia and northern Alicante on Monday, leaving at least four people dead, RTVE and El Mundo reported. Two of the deaths were confirmed later Monday in Oliva: a 79-year-old woman found in her home and a 64-year-old man at a campsite, El Mundo reported, citing the government delegate. That brought the storm toll to four after earlier deaths in Sagunto and near Barcelona, RTVE and El Mundo reported.
Spain's weather agency AEMET called the downpours extreme. RTVE said Pego recorded about 632 liters per square meter in 36 hours, and that the only local precedent is November 3, 1987, when Oliva took 817 liters in 24 hours. El Mundo said volunteer AVAMET stations logged about 700 liters in 48 hours in parts of Alicante, including about 693 in Pego and 720 in Forna. Those are volunteer readings, not AEMET station records. Provisional AEMET totals also differ by report: ABC cited about 620 liters in Pego in under 24 hours, while El País cited AEMET station figures of 465 in Pego and about 410 in Oliva over 24 hours.
The Valencia regional government confined 145 towns holding about 900,000 people on Monday morning, later narrowing the order to eight coastal towns, El Mundo and RTVE reported. The military emergency unit UME ran helicopter and roof rescues in Oliva and Pego, RTVE reported. About 100,000 students had no class, El País reported. AEMET lowered the red alert to orange and yellow but said not to drop your guard through Tuesday in flooded parts of La Safor and the Marina Alta, El Mundo reported.
University of Alicante climatologist Jorge Olcina, in an interview with La Vanguardia, said the convective core "stalled" over the area and that such storms will become more frequent as the Mediterranean warms. "What matters is that when there is an episode of torrential rain like this, there are no deaths," he said, according to La Vanguardia.
What we know: Dana Adam killed at least four people and dropped historic rain on La Safor and the Marina Alta on Monday.
What we don't: Whether the Tuesday risk AEMET warned about will add deaths or a higher official rain total.
Where outlets agree RTVE and El Mundo report that Dana Adam killed at least four people and brought historic rain to southern Valencia and northern Alicante on Monday.
Where they differ Rain totals differ: RTVE cites about 632 liters per square meter in Pego in 36 hours, while El Mundo cites volunteer AVAMET readings near 700 liters in 48 hours, and other outlets give different AEMET station figures.