In one of the country's worst natural disasters in recent years, at least 52 people are dead and many are missing after devastating floods hit eastern Spain, according to local authorities.
The floods – which submerged villages, cut off roads and disrupted public transport – began with a heavy deluge on Monday and Tuesday. Some areas of southern and eastern Spain received more than a month's worth of rain in less than 24 hours.
Almost all of the deaths confirmed by authorities so far have occurred in the eastern region of Valencia. Another woman died in Mira, a small town in the neighboring province of Castile-La Mancha, where at least six others are missing in the municipality of Albacete, local officials said.
Floodwaters flooded homes, sent cars floating on submerged roads and disrupted travel across eastern Spain. Regional trains were halted in Valencia and schools were closed in many places.
More than 1,000 emergency response team members have been deployed, and officials say many more residents are waiting to help. Authorities in Valencia said they had set up a phone line to report missing persons and urged residents not to travel on still-flooded roads in the area.
Although storms are common in Spain during the fall, locals were surprised by the amount of rain — about 40 to 50 gallons per square yard, according to Spain's meteorological agency. Forecasters say the storm is moving north and northwest of Spain, with rain expected to continue until at least Thursday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.