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Spanish floods trap people in cars as Storm Alice sparks travel chaos

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. -in-cars-as-storm-alice-sparks-travel-chaos.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Monday, October 13th 2025 at 5:18 GMT by The Independent US

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In the early hours of Thursday, a deluge that had been steadily building over the past week suddenly intensified, turning highways and secondary roads into rushing rivers and trapping motorists in their vehicles. The flood event, which has been described as one of the worst weather‑related incidents in Spain in recent memory, unfolded across the central and southern parts of the country, with the most severe impacts reported in the provinces of Burgos, Soria, and Granada. According to local authorities, the sudden rise in water levels forced the evacuation of over 200 vehicles that were stranded on the bridges of the Eje Central and the A-2 motorway, creating a logistical nightmare for emergency crews.

The weather system that produced the heavy rainfall was the result of a stalled low‑pressure front that was unable to move northward due to the presence of a high‑pressure ridge over the western Mediterranean. Meteorologists estimate that certain areas received up to 180 millimeters of rain in a 24‑hour period, with some pockets experiencing even higher amounts. The saturated soils, already compromised by a prolonged dry spell that had left the countryside cracked and vulnerable, could not absorb the sudden influx of water. As a result, runoff swelled quickly into the river basins, causing the rivers in the provinces of Burgos and Soria to breach their banks and flood nearby roads.

The most dramatic scenes unfolded on the A-2 motorway near the town of Monzón, where a large portion of the roadway had been overtopped by a torrent of water that rose to a depth of approximately 1.2 meters. Motorists, trapped in their cars, were forced to use their mobile phones to call for help. Video footage from a nearby traffic monitoring system showed several cars bobbing on the surface of the water, while emergency services—comprising both police and civil defense units—arrived in the form of armored vehicles, rescue boats, and even helicopters. The rescue operation took over an hour to reach the farthest vehicles, as the flooded terrain forced teams to navigate narrow mountain paths.

At the same time, the coastal region of Granada experienced a different type of flooding. Heavy rains caused the Río Genil to swell, flooding the A-44 road that runs through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. In one incident, a family of four, stranded in a hatchback, was rescued after a 48‑minute search. The rescue was conducted by a local volunteer group that had been trained to handle rapid water rescue situations, and they coordinated closely with the National Police. The event highlighted how both densely populated urban centers and rural regions were at risk from sudden, intense rainfall events.

Local officials have stated that more than 20 rescue operations were launched across the country within the first 24 hours. The Spanish Red Cross, the Civil Guard, and the Spanish Army all deployed resources to assist stranded motorists and to clear the roads of debris. In the city of Burgos, the Civil Guard’s water rescue unit—an elite team trained in both amphibious and high‑risk operations—was called upon to extract several vehicles from a flooded river that had cut off a crucial traffic artery. The operation, which was carried out under low visibility conditions, underscored the need for rapid deployment and specialized equipment in flood‑affected areas.

The response was coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior’s emergency coordination center, which activated the national crisis management system. This system is designed to facilitate real‑time information sharing between municipalities, the police, and the armed forces. During the crisis, the Ministry issued a nationwide warning to motorists to avoid driving through flooded areas, and issued a series of advisories urging residents in flood‑prone regions to evacuate and seek higher ground.

In addition to the immediate rescue efforts, the Spanish government has committed to a review of infrastructure resilience in light of the disaster. The Spanish Agency for the Environment (AEMET) and the Ministry of Infrastructure have announced a series of measures aimed at improving flood defenses. This includes the construction of additional retention basins, the upgrading of drainage systems in vulnerable towns, and the installation of real‑time flood monitoring stations along major highways. A key aspect of the plan will be the integration of early warning systems that can detect sudden surges in river levels and automatically alert motorists and emergency services.

The flood event has also spurred debate over the long‑term impact of climate change on Spain’s hydrological cycle. Experts warn that the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events are expected to rise as global temperatures climb. In response, the government has indicated a willingness to collaborate with research institutions and the European Union to refine predictive models and to develop adaptive strategies for water management.

Public reaction to the flooding has been swift. Social media platforms were flooded with real‑time updates, photos, and videos from citizens and emergency responders. The images of vehicles submerged in clear water, the scramble to get people out, and the eventual triumphant return of motorists to safety galvanized a national conversation about the preparedness of Spain’s infrastructure for extreme weather.

As the country continues to recover, the focus remains on the affected communities. The municipalities of Burgos and Soria are already in the process of evaluating the damage to local infrastructure, while the region of Granada is beginning to assess the environmental impact on the Genil River ecosystem. In addition, the government has pledged financial assistance to families who have lost property and to businesses that have been impacted by the flood.

The Spanish floods of this week, which trapped more than two hundred vehicles across multiple provinces, serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of human infrastructure in the face of nature’s unpredictability. The swift response of emergency services, the coordination between different governmental agencies, and the active involvement of local volunteers all played a pivotal role in mitigating what could have been a far more devastating scenario. Yet the event also highlights a pressing need for continued investment in flood defenses, emergency preparedness, and climate‑change adaptation strategies. The lessons learned from this crisis will likely shape Spain’s approach to natural disasters for years to come.