The DANA Adam keeps the Spanish Mediterranean coast on maximum alert this Sunday, October 18. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has activated the red warning for extraordinary danger in the south of Valencia and the north of Alicante, while Ibiza and Formentera have suffered torrential rains that have forced the mobilization of emergency services. The storm has already claimed a fatal victim in Catalonia, where a woman was swept away by a stream in Cabrera de Mar.
The most concerning situation is concentrated in the Valencian Community, where precipitation may exceed 200 liters per square meter in twelve hours and 300 in a full day. The episode also affects Andalusia, Murcia, and the Balearic Islands, with flooded streets, mobility restrictions, and various Civil Protection warnings. Aemet warns that the most adverse hours will extend into the early morning and the first hours of Monday.
Valencia and Alicante, on red alert until Monday
The southern coast of Valencia and the north of Alicante concentrate the highest risk of flooding. Aemet maintains the red warning until 10:00 hours on Monday, October 19, with special vigilance over the Valencian comarca of La Safor and the area around Cape Nao, in Alicante.
Precipitation has left significant accumulations in municipalities such as Gandia, Real de Gandia, and Oliva, where the intensity of the rain has caused circulation problems and flooding. In the north of Alicante, towns such as Dénia and Xàbia have also adopted preventive measures, with road closures, closure of municipal facilities, and access restrictions to areas near the waterways.
The Valencian Generalitat has sent ES-Alert notifications to the mobile phones of residents in the most exposed areas. Authorities are asking to avoid unnecessary travel, not to cross flooded roads, and to stay away from ravines and rivers, due to the risk of sudden rises.
The UME deploys in Ibiza and Mallorca after the floods
The situation has also worsened in the Balearic Islands. The Military Emergency Unit (UME) has mobilized personnel from Valencia to Ibiza and Mallorca to collaborate with the regional devices in response to the incidents caused by the storm.
In Ibiza and Formentera, Civil Protection has sent two alerts to mobile phones during the morning of this Sunday. The first warned of the imminent risk of flooding and the second communicated the suspension of outdoor sports, social, and cultural activities.
The rains have caused significant problems in mobility. The airport of Ibiza has recorded diversions, cancellations, and delays of flights, while the access highway to the facilities had to be temporarily closed at the height of Platja d'en Bossa. In Formentera, the precipitation has reached 183 liters per square meter in La Mola, affecting different buildings and facilities.
Although the red alert in the Pitiusas was expected to last until the early hours of the afternoon, the risk continues with orange alerts for rains, storms, and coastal phenomena.
Woman missing in Cabrera de Mar found dead
The storm has left a fatal victim in Catalonia. The Bombers de la Generalitat located this Sunday in the sea the body of the woman who went missing on Saturday in Cabrera de Mar, in the province of Barcelona, after she was swept away by a stream while walking with her husband and two children.
According to emergency services, the body was located approximately six kilometers from the place where the disappearance occurred. During the episode, it was also necessary to rescue two people who had been trapped inside a vehicle in Sentmenat, in the Vallès Occidental.
Catalonia also faces the possibility of new intense precipitation during the afternoon of Monday, when the instability could progressively shift towards the northeastern peninsula.
Andalusia and Murcia, awaiting the evolution of the rains
In Andalusia, the DANA Adam has left numerous incidents since Saturday. El Ejido, in Almería, recorded more than a hundred incidents, while in Málaga capital the rains caused flooding in the neighborhood of El Palo and the intervention of emergency services. In the Peñón del Cuervo tunnel, it was necessary to rescue several people who had been trapped by the accumulation of water.
The Aemet also maintains warnings for heavy rains in Murcia, the coast of Almería and Granada, Ronda and Grazalema, where storms may be accompanied by hail and strong gusts of wind. Authorities insist that the channels and dry riverbeds may experience rapid rises, even when precipitation temporarily decreases.
How long will the DANA Adam last in Spain?
According to Aemet's forecast, Monday, October 19 will continue to be a complicated day, especially during its first half in Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Almería, and the Balearic Islands. Subsequently, precipitation is expected to weaken in these areas and could concentrate with greater intensity in Catalonia.
Starting Tuesday, a progressive decrease in instability is expected, although heavy rains could still be recorded in coastal areas of the northeastern peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
The spokesperson for Aemet, Rubén del Campo, has warned that the combination of the DANA with the influx of humid air from the Mediterranean is causing especially adverse conditions. The agency also emphasizes that there is uncertainty about the exact location of the highest accumulations.
Civil Protection recommends staying informed through official warnings, avoiding travel in affected areas, and not accessing basements, garages, or flood-prone underground passages. In any emergency situation, the reference phone number is 112.