Since October 9th, the eastern coast of Spain fell under the influence of the first named storm of the season, “Alice.”
Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands were affected by the rampage of the elements.
The total rainfall reached record levels. The heaviest downpours hit on October 11th, with up to four point three inches of rain falling in just one hour in Carcaixent.
By October 13th, the Columbretes Islands recorded an unprecedented 12.8 inches of rain.
The downpours caused widespread flooding. Streets, basements, and the ground floors of homes were flooded in cities across Valencia, Murcia, and southern Tarragona.
Due to the bad weather, about four hundred people were evacuated. Rescuers conducted hundreds of operations, helping people trapped in houses and cars.
The storm paralyzed transportation infrastructure. On October 11, Ibiza Airport temporarily closed due to flooding of the runway and terminal, and nineteen flights were canceled at Palma de Mallorca Airport. On October 12, major highways were blocked, including the AP-7 in Alicante and Catalonia, and train service between Barcelona and Valencia was also interrupted.
The elements dealt a serious blow to agriculture. In Valencia, water covered more than one thousand two hundred thirty-five acres of rice fields; in Murcia and Catalonia, gardens and farmland were damaged, and part of the harvest was irretrievably lost.
As of October 14, eighteen people were injured in Spain as a result of the storm, one of them in serious condition. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
Heavy rains causing catastrophic destruction are becoming alarmingly frequent worldwide. Their intensity is explained not only by record ocean warming. More and more scientists point to another factor — micro- and nanoplastic, which alter the properties of the atmosphere, thus triggering such natural disasters. More details are provided by Dr. Egon Cholakian in the video “Why Turbulence Is on the Rise? Egon Cholakian on Atmospheric Anomalies and Nanoplastic Pollution.”