The death toll from the Spanish floods has risen to over 200

The death toll from Spain's historic floods rose to at least 205 people on Friday, with many more believed to be missing, as the initial shock led to anger, frustration and a wave of solidarity.

Spanish emergency authorities said 202 victims were in the area east of Valencia, and officials warned that heavy rain was expected in the coming days.

The damage caused by the storm on Tuesday and Wednesday recalled the aftermath of the tsunami, with survivors left picking up the pieces as they mourned the loss of loved ones in Spain's deadliest natural disaster.

Many roads were still blocked by vehicles piled up with debris, and in some cases, residents were trapped in their homes. Some areas still do not have electricity, running water or fixed telephone lines.

“The situation is unbelievable. It is a disaster and there is very little help,” said Emilio Cuartero, in Masanasa, on the outskirts of the city of Valencia. “We need machines, cranes, to make the places accessible. We need a lot of help. And bread and water.”

In Chiva, residents were clearing debris from muddy streets. The city of Valencia received more rain in eight hours on Tuesday than in the previous 20 months, and water flooded a canal that runs through the city, destroying roads and homes.

The mayor, Amparo Fort, told RNE radio that “all the houses have disappeared, we don't know if there were people inside or not.”

So far, 205 bodies have been found – 202 in Valencia, two in neighboring Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia to the south. Members of the security forces and 1,700 emergency service personnel are searching for an unknown number of missing people. Officials fear more bodies may be found in wrecked cars and flooded garages.

The Guardia Civil rescued more than 4,500 people who were trapped by the floods, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said at a press conference from Valencia.

The regional authorities, which are in charge of the response to the disaster, have asked the central government to mobilize 500 soldiers, who will be deployed on Saturday.

“I've been there all my life, all my memories are there, my parents live there … and now in one night everything is gone,” Chiva resident Juan Vicente Pérez told the Associated Press near where he lost his home. “If we had waited another five minutes, we wouldn't be here on earth.”

Before and after satellite images of the city of Valencia showed the extent of the disaster, showing the transformation of the Mediterranean metropolis into a swamp filled with mud. The V-33 highway was completely covered in a hard, brown layer of mud.

Unity throughout the country

The massacre launched a wave of solidarity across the country. Throughout the morning, hundreds of residents have been arriving on foot in the most affected areas carrying water, essential products, shovels and brooms to help remove the mud. The number of people coming to help is so high that the authorities have asked them not to drive or walk because they are blocking the roads needed by the emergency services.

“It's very important that you come home,” said regional president Carlos Mazón, who thanked the volunteers for their kindness.

Apart from volunteer donations, local governments have started distributing water, food and basic products to schools, town halls and sports fields.

The Red Cross used its large aid network to help those affected by the floods. As of Tuesday, it has carried out more than 3,500 interventions, including in 13 shelters established by the authorities, distributing food, blankets and hygiene products, and providing internet access.

“There will be serious consequences. People who were already at risk will increase, and we will find new needs because there are people who have lost their livelihoods,” said Ana Gómez, spokeswoman for the Red Cross in Valencia.

And more storms are expected. The sky in Valencia was partly sunny on Friday, but the Spanish weather agency issued warnings of heavy rains in the region and on the coast of Huelva, Andalusia; Tarragona, Catalonia; and part of the Balearic Islands.

The storm knocked out power and water services Tuesday night, but about 85 percent of the 155,000 affected customers had power restored by Friday, the company said in a statement.

“This is a tragedy, there are many old women who don't have medicine, there are children who don't have food, we don't have milk, we don't have water, we can't access anything. ,” a resident of Alfafar, one of the hardest-hit towns south of Valencia, told state television channel TVE. “No one came to warn us on the first day.”

Juan Ramón Adsuara, the mayor of Alfafar, said aid was not enough for residents trapped in “a very bad situation.”

“There are people living with dead bodies in their homes. It is very sad. We are organizing them but we are running out of everything,” he told the media. “We go to Valencia with vans, we shop and come back, but here we have completely forgotten.”

Rushing water turned narrow roads into death loops and caused rivers to pass through homes and businesses, leaving many homeless. The authorities have arrested people suspected of cheating in shops.

Social media conveyed the needs of those affected. Some posted pictures of missing people in the hope of finding information about their whereabouts, while others started programs like Suport Mutu – or Mutual Support – which combines requests for help with people who provide it. Others organize nationwide fundraisers and fundraisers.

'Climate change is the worst climate ever'

Pope Francis offered prayers for “the dead, and their loved ones, and all the families in need,” as well as the rescuers working in Valencia during the Angelus blessing on the Catholic holiday of All Saints.

Spain's Mediterranean coast is used to raining autumn storms that can cause flooding, but this was the worst flood in recent memory. Scientists link it to climate change, which is also responsible for high temperatures and droughts in Spain and the warming of the Mediterranean Sea.

“Climate change is extreme weather. We can expect to see more damage and despair than we've seen this week as hot air brings more power to our climate system,” said Clare Nullis, World Meteorological spokesperson. Organization.

Spain has been dealing with a drought that has lasted almost two years, making this flood even worse because the dry land was too dry to absorb heavy rain.

In August 1996, floods swept away a camp on the Gallego River in Biescas, in the northeast, killing 87 people.