Torrential rains flood southern Catalonia as emergency teams rescue 18 drivers in Terres de l'Ebre

Torrential rainfall across Terres de l'Ebre

Heavy autumn rainstorms hit the southern comarcas of Catalonia between Thursday night and Friday, dropping over 200 litres of water per square metre across several municipalities in the Terres de l'Ebre region. Coastal and inland stations recorded intense downpours within narrow timeframes. In L'Ametlla de Mar, accumulated precipitation reached 265 litres per square metre, while Les Cases d'Alcanar recorded 238 litres per square metre, including up to 100 litres in a single hour. Other heavily affected locations included Mas de Barberans with 227 litres, El Perelló with 224 litres, and Santa Bàrbara with 210 litres.

The director of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Sarai Sarroca, reported that an unstable atmospheric pattern maintained persistent storm activity over the coastline and prelitoral areas throughout the day.

And we expect more rain until the night, with amounts that can be torrential.

Emergency rescues and evacuations

The regional fire service (Bombers de la Generalitat) deployed an emergency contingent of up to 150 personnel, 55 vehicles, and two helicopters to handle disruptions across Tarragona province. Operating from a command post established in Tortosa, crews carried out 18 vehicle rescues during Friday morning. Emergency workers removed motorists trapped by rising floodwaters that reached vehicle rear-view mirrors in Ulldecona, Santa Bàrbara, and Alcanar. Among those assisted were two heavy truck drivers whose vehicles were trapped as the Galera and Baiot ravines overflowed across the C-12 highway.

Fire service inspector Oriol Corbella described the conditions faced by rescue teams across the southern districts.

There was a high simultaneity of rescues, people called us from vehicles with water entering, reaching the height of the rear-view mirror, trapped without being able to get out.

In Tortosa, emergency personnel evacuated eight residents from two separate residential buildings. Six people were relocated to a hotel after heavy water accumulation led to a partial roof collapse on Montcada Street in the Eixample neighborhood, while two others on Cervantes Street were transferred to a shelter. The municipality and the Red Cross set up an emergency reception facility with a capacity for 50 people at the El Temple sports pavilion. Fire officials reported no injuries during the operations.

Civil protection alerts and confinement orders

Catalan civil protection authorities issued multiple emergency alerts via the Es-Alert mobile system to restrict population movement. The first alert arrived at 21:00 on Thursday, advising residents in Baix Ebre, Montsià, Ribera d'Ebre, and Baix Camp to exercise caution. On Friday morning, a subsequent message ordered the strict confinement of approximately 157,000 residents across the Baix Ebre and Montsià comarcas at approximately 08:30.

Authorities lifted the confinement order around 13:00 through a third mobile broadcast, though restrictions on interurban travel remained in effect until 20:00. Catalan Interior Minister Núria Parlon asked the public to maintain caution despite the lifted confinement.

You can go down to shop at the supermarket next door, but not go shopping at a store in the neighboring town.

Municipal damage and infrastructure pressure

The intense storms caused flash flooding in municipal centers and overwhelmed local waterways. In Santa Bàrbara, the Pelós ravine overflowed in 35 minutes around midnight, followed by a second surge after 06:00 that inundated four to five streets and tore up asphalt at the old market square. Mayors across the region pointed to the recurring nature of these weather events, following previous inundations in 2018, 2021, 2023, and October 2025. In Amposta, where 90 litres per square metre fell during Friday morning, municipal sports halls and administrative offices suffered water damage. Amposta Mayor Adam Tomàs noted that the local stormwater management plan stood at 66% completion, requiring long-term construction of lamination basins and road modifications on the C-12 to manage mountain runoff.