Torrential rains in Ebre region lead to flooding and road closures

Torrential rains in the Ebre river region, in southern Catalonia, led to major floods and road closures on early Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities have urged the public to avoid all travel, as well as staying on underground or ground floors, with more rain due to fall during the day. 

Towns in the Montsià and Baix Ebre counties, such as Alcanar and Ulldecona, are the most affected areas, and around 5,500 people were left without electricity. Vehicles and bar terraces have been swept away by the water.

In Alcanar, a town bordering the Valencia region, 216.6 mm of rain fell from 10 am to 2 pm, with 77 mm falling in only 30 minutes around noon.

By 4.30 pm, 20 people had been evacuated and sheltered by the Red Cross in a local sports hall in Alcanar.

The AP-7 highway was temporarily closed off to traffic, but it is back in operation. The N-340 between Amposta and Alcanar, the TV-3316 and the TP-3318 remain shut. (Check out the Trànsit Twitter account for the latest updates.)

The R16 train line is out of service and travellers are being offered bus rides instead.

Hundreds of calls were registered on the emergency hotline, as civil protection fears some people could be trapped inside vehicles. 

Storm Gloria badly damaged Ebre river delta in January 2020

The area affected includes the Ebre river delta, a fragile ecosystem severely affected by Storm Gloria in January 2020.

Part of the delta flooded due to the storm, destroying rice fields, while rivers across the country burst their banks.

A year later, Storm Filomena battered the area once again. Beaches, such as Riumar and La Marquesa, were severely eroded as sand was blown away.

Have a listen to our podcast published in January on climate change in Catalonia, which including a report from the Ebre river delta: