The heavy rains and storms that have battered Catalonia since this Saturday, October 17, have left one woman missing, numerous floods, and hundreds of alerts to emergency services, especially in the province of Barcelona. The meteorological episode has caused precipitation of up to 87 liters per square meter in Sant Pere de Ribes, vehicles swept away by the currents, rescues of trapped individuals, and disruptions in rail and air transport. The situation has forced the activation of the Special Emergency Plan for Floods of Catalonia (Inuncat), while authorities warn that the rains could intensify again between Monday and Tuesday.
The most serious incident has been recorded in Cabrera de Mar (Barcelona), where the Firefighters of the Generalitat and the Mossos d'Esquadra are maintaining a search operation to locate a woman who was swept away by the current while crossing a flooded street with her family. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, after heavy rainfall caused the overflow of an underground stream. According to the information available this Sunday morning, emergency teams had still not managed to locate her.
The storm has particularly affected the regions of Maresme, Vallès Oriental, Baix Llobregat, and Garraf, where precipitation has reached extraordinary intensity in very short intervals of time. By 7:00 AM this Sunday, the emergency phone number 112 had received 367 calls related to the rains, which have generated a total of 286 incidents. Approximately half of the alerts have concentrated in Maresme and Vallès Oriental, two of the areas most affected by the floods.
They are searching for a woman swept away by the current in Cabrera de Mar
The main concern of emergency services is focused on the disappearance of a woman in Cabrera de Mar, a municipality located in the Barcelonan region of Maresme. The incident occurred around 7:30 PM on Saturday, when the force of the water overflowed the channeling of an underground stream and swept the woman away while she was crossing a flooded street with her family.
After receiving the notice, a wide search device was activated in which participate members of the Firefighters of the Generalitat, Mossos d'Esquadra, local police, Civil Protection, forest defense groups, and Maritime Rescue. The tasks also have the support of drones, used to inspect areas of difficult access and try to locate the missing person in the vicinity of the stream and the points to which the current may have moved her.
The woman continued to be missing during the morning of this Sunday, according to the latest balance provided. The operations are developing under complicated conditions due to the consequences of the precipitation and the accumulation of water and materials dragged by the storm. The episode has once again highlighted the danger of crossing flooded streets or channels during torrential rains, as a current that appears to be shallow can acquire enough strength to drag a person.
In Cabrera de Mar, 57 liters per square meter were recorded, although the main risk has not been solely related to the total amount of rain, but also to the speed at which the water has accumulated and to the response of the streams and drainage systems.
More than 360 calls to 112 and several rescues of trapped people
The storms have forced emergency services to carry out numerous interventions in different municipalities of Barcelona. The Firefighters of the Generalitat received 89 notices related to the storm until midnight on Saturday, of which 67 corresponded to the northern metropolitan region and another 20 to the southern metropolitan region. The actions have been mainly related to flooding in homes, streets, and roads, as well as with people who had become trapped by the accumulation of water.
Among the most notable rescues is the one carried out in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, in the Baix Llobregat, where emergency teams had to evacuate an elderly person and a pregnant woman from a flooded home. Interventions were also carried out on the highway A-2, as it passes through Abrera and Martorell, to assist the occupants of several vehicles affected by the floods.
In Sentmenat, in the Vallès Occidental, the Firefighters rescued two elderly people who had become trapped inside a car due to the rising water. For its part, in Vilassar de Mar, the currents managed to drag several vehicles with people inside, while the N-2 road was flooded at different points. The precipitation also affected the basements of buildings located in the neighborhoods of la Xinesca and el Congrés, where significant water accumulations were recorded.
The speed with which the storms developed has been one of the most dangerous factors of the episode, especially in urban areas and in municipalities crossed by streams. Emergency services have insisted that floods can occur in a matter of minutes when very intense precipitation coincides with drainage systems unable to absorb all the water.
Up to 87 liters in Sant Pere de Ribes and torrential rains in Barcelona
Meteorological records reflect the intensity of the precipitation during the day on Saturday and the early hours of Sunday. Sant Pere de Ribes, in the Garraf region, has led the accumulations with 87 liters per square meter, while in the vicinity of El Prat airport and the port of Barcelona the 82 liters mark was reached. In Cabrils, in the Maresme, the records reached 77 liters per square meter, and more than 70 liters were also exceeded in towns in the Vallès Oriental such as Caldes de Montbui and la Batllòria, in Sant Celoni.
One of the most intense episodes occurred precisely in Sant Pere de Ribes, where 60 liters per square meter fell in just half an hour, of which 27 liters accumulated in just ten minutes. In Cabrils, the intensity was even greater during a brief interval, with 37.8 liters per square meter in ten minutes. These figures reflect the torrential nature of precipitation capable of causing flash floods even when their duration is not especially prolonged.
The storms have also left significant records in other areas of Catalonia. In Montesquiu, in the province of Barcelona, 56 liters per square meter accumulated, while in Santa Coloma de Farners, in Girona, 51 liters were reached. In Massanes, also in Girona, 47 liters were recorded, and in Olot the precipitation reached 44 liters per square meter.
During the early morning, the main core of the rains moved towards Garraf and Baix Llobregat, after having particularly affected Maresme and Vallès Oriental. This evolution has caused different regions to experience episodes of very heavy rainfall at different times, complicating the management of emergencies and the recovery of flooded areas.
Rodalies recovers the R2 Sud after interruptions and El Prat records delays
The storm has also had significant consequences on mobility. Renfe suspended from 10:00 PM on Saturday the circulation of the R2 Sud line of Rodalies, due to the forecast of torrential rains in the regions of Baix Llobregat and Garraf. The decision was made as a preventive measure to avoid risks in a railway corridor especially exposed to adverse weather conditions.
The company initially announced the suspension of regional services in southern Catalonia, although it ultimately opted to divert these trains through Vilafranca del Penedès. In addition, alternative buses were enabled to connect Garraf and Penedès with the Barcelona area, with the aim of maintaining the mobility of travelers while railway restrictions persisted.
Both the R2 Sud line of Rodalies and regional trains resumed circulation from the start of service this Sunday, although the return to activity occurs in a context of incidents and irregular operation that the Catalan railway network has been experiencing for months.
The heavy rains also caused delays and some flight cancellations during the night of Saturday at Barcelona-El Prat airport, where weather conditions hindered certain operations. Regarding urban transport, Metropolitan Transport of Barcelona (TMB) has reported that all metro lines are operating normally during the morning of this Sunday, although some access points to stations on lines L9 Sud, L10, and L11 remain closed as a preventive measure.
Civil Protection maintains the alert for floods: the rains will intensify again between Monday and Tuesday
Although during the first hours of this Sunday the precipitation has lost intensity in a good part of Catalonia and the most important showers have moved out to sea, the meteorological episode is still not considered finished. Civil Protection has activated the Inuncat plan in alert phase, due to the risk of new intense rains and the possibility of additional incidents in the affected municipalities.
The meteorological forecasts indicate a new increase in the intensity of the precipitation between Monday, October 19, and Tuesday, October 20, so emergency services will continue to monitor the evolution of the storms. The expected rains could complicate cleaning and recovery tasks in the towns where flooding has already occurred, especially if significant accumulations are recorded again in short periods of time.
Authorities remind that, in episodes of torrential precipitation, the danger does not necessarily disappear when it stops raining, as streams, ravines, and riverbeds can experience sudden rises due to water accumulated in other areas. For this reason, they recommend avoiding unnecessary travel during the hours of greatest intensity, not crossing flooded roads, and staying away from areas near watercourses.
Emergency services also advise consulting the updated warnings from Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat) and following the instructions of Civil Protection, especially in municipalities that have reported damage or where there is a history of flooding.
Catalonia thus faces a new day pending the search for the missing woman in Cabrera de Mar and the evolution of the storm, after a Saturday marked by torrential rains, rescues, and transport interruptions. With 367 calls to 112, 286 incidents, and precipitation of up to 87 liters per square meter, the community is preparing for another possible episode of intense rains between Monday and Tuesday.