At least 63 people have died in Spain after devastating floods and mudslides

At least 63 people have died in eastern Spain after torrential floods swamped cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted railways and highways in the worst natural disaster to hit a European nation in recent memory.

Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed the death toll at 62 on Wednesday. The central government office in the Castilla La Mancha region added that an 88-year-old woman was found dead in the city of Cuenca.

Storms on Tuesday caused flooding in a wide area of ​​southern and eastern Spain, from Malaga to Valencia. Floods of muddy water knocked cars off the roads at high speed, while pieces of wood swayed in the water and household goods. Police and rescue workers used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers trapped on the roofs of cars.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that a number of cities were affected by floods.

“To those who are looking for their loved ones, all of Spain feels your pain,” Sánchez said in a televised address. “Ours is to help you. We are putting all the resources necessary to recover from this disaster.”

Military assistance in disaster response

Authorities reported dozens of people missing late Tuesday, but the next morning brought the shocking announcement of dozens of people found dead.

“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel, a small town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. The mayor said that many people are still missing in his city.

“We were trapped like rats, cars and garbage containers were flowing on the roads. The water had risen to three meters,” he said.

More than 1,000 1,000 soldiers from emergency areas in Spain have been sent to the devastated areas. Rescue services were also rushed east from other parts of Spain. Spain's central government has set up a disaster committee to help coordinate rescue efforts.

One elderly couple was rescued by the army using a tractor, and three soldiers with a big shovel. Television reports showed videos shot by terrified residents documenting how water flooded the floors of apartments, streams bursting their banks and bridges giving way.

Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. Nothing, however, compared to the devastation of the past two days.

The death toll may rise with other regions yet to report casualties and ongoing search efforts in hard-to-reach areas. In the village of Letur in the neighboring region of Castilla La Mancha, Mayor Sergio Marín Sánchez said six people were missing.

Spain is still recovering from a severe drought and continues to register the highest temperatures in recent years. Scientists say the increase in severe weather episodes may be related to climate change.

'Everything is scattered'

These storms caused severe hail that blew holes in car windows and greenhouses as well as an unprecedented tornado.

Also, a high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although train officials said no one was injured. The high-speed train service between the city of Valencia and Madrid was disrupted, as were several passenger lines.

Carlos Mazón, the president of the Valencia region, urged people to stay at home, as it is already difficult to walk on the road due to fallen trees and wrecked cars.

“The neighborhood has been destroyed, all the cars are on top of each other, smashed,” said Christian Viena, owner of a bar in Valencia's Barrio de la Torre, by phone. “Everything is destroyed, everything is ready to be thrown away. The mud is about 30 centimeters deep.”

Located south of Barcelona along the Mediterranean coast, Valencia is a tourist destination known for its beaches, citrus groves, and as the home of the Spanish rice dish paella.

Like other parts of Spain, Valencia has ravines and small rivers that spend most of the year dry but quickly fill with water when it rains. Many of them pass through densely populated areas. The rain had eased in Valencia by late Wednesday morning.

More storms are forecast for Thursday, according to Spain's weather service.