MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Dozens killed by heavy rains hitting Spain

The DANA has been affecting autonomous communities such as Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Madrid since earlier this week

Local authorities have left behind the rescue efforts and moved on the the body-retrieving and identification phase Wednesday after at least 62 people died in the Spanish Community of Valencia as a consequence of this week's severe flooding caused by the Isolated High-Level Depression (known for its Spanish acronym DANA, depresión aislada en niveles altos). Another person was reported dead in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha.

Cars were piled up as mudslides ran through the area causing unprecedented havoc in addition to damaging communications and causing power outages.

According to Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) Tuesday evening's storm fit within what is known as “the cold drop,” a phenomenon not unseen to Valencia but yet “the most adverse in the century,” way harder than “the Sept. 2019 DANA” but roughly matching the impact of storms back in Oct. 1982 and Nov. 1987, Aemet went on.

Up to nine regions nationwide are on red alert for heavy rains as Spain entered the “most adverse phase” of the phenomenon that began last Monday and could last through the weekend, Aemet also explained.

“Our absolute priority is to help them. The public administrations are working, we are working in a coordinated way to do what is possible and we are going to put all the necessary means today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes for us to recover from this tragedy. We are not going to leave them alone,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said as he pledged to help “those who see their homes flooded, their belongings destroyed, their lives covered in mud.”

“I know that behind all this damage there are decades of effort, vital projects today submerged in the most absolute uncertainty,” he added. Spain will help the victims “with all the resources of the State, and if necessary, of the European Union.”

Further deaths were not to be ruled out and authorities feared Wednesday that the toll could easily be around 100. “The situation is dramatic” in many municipalities, Valencia Police told local media. “Surely the exact number of dead will not be known for a couple of days, but there could be more than a hundred,” they added.

The DANA has been affecting autonomous communities such as Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Madrid. Congress Speaker Francina Armengol adjourned Wednesday's session after observing a minute's silence for the dead.