The DANA Adam keeps a good part of Spain on alert this Sunday, October 18, with special concern in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has activated the red warning for extraordinary danger of torrential rains in Valencia, Alicante, Ibiza, and Formentera, where precipitation can reach 90 liters per square meter in just one hour and cause flash floods.
The storm has already left exceptional records in the province of Valencia. The comarca of La Safor is one of the most affected, with accumulations of 208.2 liters per square meter in Real de Gandia and 203.4 in Rafelcofer up to 12:30 PM, according to data from the Associació Valenciana de Meteorologia (Avamet).
Also noteworthy are the amounts recorded in Benirredrà, with 194.8 liters; Gandia-Marxuquera, with 183; Barx-la Drova, with 169.5; Palma de Gandia-Marxuquera, with 169.4; Beniflà, with 167.4, and Alfauir, with 153.2 liters per square meter.
Valencia and Alicante, on maximum alert: up to 400 liters in 24 hours
The red warning has been active since 10:00 AM in the southern coast of Valencia and the northern part of Alicante, where Aemet anticipates accumulations of 200 liters per square meter in twelve hours and over 300 in a full day. In the most affected areas, even 400 liters could be reached, especially in the surroundings located northwest of Gandia.
Given the severity of the forecasts, the Generalitat Valenciana has sent an ES-Alert message to the mobile phones of residents in the affected areas. Civil Protection recommends avoiding travel, not crossing flooded roads, and staying away from rivers, ravines, channels, and promenades.
The warning also advises seeking elevated areas if the water level begins to rise, not accessing garages or basements, and avoiding the use of elevators. The Generalitat has sent a second notification for an orange alert to the northern coast and the southern interior of Valencia.
In Valencia city, the City Council has suspended outdoor activities and ordered the closure of parks, gardens, and cemeteries. The flea market, the extraordinary Sunday market, and the libraries located within parks also remain closed.
The Provincial Consortium of Firefighters maintains a special reinforcement device since Saturday night, planned until the early hours of Monday.
The body of the missing woman found in Cabrera de Mar
The storm has also left a tragic news in Catalonia. The Bombers de la Generalitat have located this Sunday the lifeless body of the woman missing in Cabrera de Mar, in an area near the breakwater of the port of Premià de Mar, in the province of Barcelona.
Six fire crews, along with members of the Mossos d'Esquadra and Maritime Rescue, participated in the operation.
Before the discovery was known, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, had lamented the disappearance during an institutional event. He also thanked the citizen collaboration in the face of the meteorological episode and made a call to maintain "attention and caution" during the day on Monday.
The Operational Coordination Center of Catalonia (Cecat) is scheduled to meet this Sunday to assess the evolution of the storm, given the possibility that heavy rains may continue.
Ibiza and Formentera receive two alerts on their mobiles
The situation is also particularly complicated in Ibiza and Formentera, where Aemet has raised the warning for rains to red during the morning.
At 11:21 a.m., Civil Protection sent a first alert to the mobile phones of residents, warning of the imminent risk of flooding and requesting to avoid travel and areas near torrents.
Just 25 minutes later, at 11:46 a.m., Emergencies sent a second notification to announce the suspension of all outdoor sports, social, and cultural activities.
The red level was expected between 10:00 a.m. and 1:59 p.m., while the orange warning for rains, storms, and coastal phenomena will last until Monday.
Málaga records floods and rescues after the downpour
In Andalusia, one of the most affected points has been the Málaga neighborhood of El Palo, where the rains in the early morning have caused flooding in streets, homes, garages, and vehicles.
The Málaga City Council has counted around thirty interventions by municipal services, with no personal injuries. Among the most notable actions is the rescue of a dozen people trapped in the Peñón del Cuervo tunnel, in addition to several assists to occupants of vehicles caught by the water.
The municipal teams are also working on the removal of branches, the cleaning of roadways, and the replacement of manhole covers displaced by the current. In the municipal parking lot of El Palo, part of the false ceiling of a pedestrian access has collapsed and the entrance has become unusable.
The storm had already hit on Saturday Almería, especially the municipality of El Ejido, where more than a hundred incidents were recorded and the municipal emergency plan was activated.
Orange alerts in Andalusia, Murcia, and Mallorca: how long will the DANA last?
In addition to the areas under red alert, Aemet maintains orange alerts for heavy rains in the southern interior of Seville, Ronda, Grazalema, the coast of Granada and Almería, Murcia, and Mallorca.
In these areas, precipitation exceeding 50 liters per square meter in one hour and 150 in twelve hours may be recorded, accompanied by storms, hail, and strong gusts of wind.
There are also warnings for coastal phenomena in various points of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast, with waves that can reach four meters and intense winds from the northeast.
The meteorological situation is caused by the DANA Adam, isolated over the northern peninsula, which interacts with another area of low pressure located to the southwest. This is compounded by the presence of a high-pressure system over the British Isles, which favors the entry of very humid air from the Mediterranean. This combination is fueling intense and persistent precipitation, especially in the eastern coast and the Balearic Islands.
The authorities insist that the main risk is flash flooding and the rise of ravines and dry riverbeds, especially in areas saturated by the rains of recent days. Civil Protection recommends consulting the official updates from Aemet, avoiding circulation in flooded areas, and calling 112 in case of any emergency.