Madrigueras: Heavy rain triggered severe flooding in Spain’s Castilla La Mancha region on Friday, killing a 102 year old woman and forcing emergency teams to rescue around 90 people in Madrigueras, according to regional authorities.
Floodwater inundated homes and streets in the town, which lies in Albacete province. Water reached approximately one metre inside the home where the woman died, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported.
Most rescues involved residents trapped in homes affected by accumulating water. Emergency services worked through the afternoon and early evening as the flooding spread.
Preliminary regional government figures indicated that more than 140 litres of rain per square metre had fallen during the intense downpour, equivalent to more than 140 millimetres. Water flowing in from surrounding channels and neighbouring areas worsened the flooding.
Authorities maintained Level 1 emergency status under the region’s severe weather response plan on Saturday, coordinating recovery operations and deploying additional resources.
The response involved firefighters, the Civil Guard, local police, civil protection teams, the Red Cross and crews from neighbouring municipalities.
Madrigueras’ health centre was also flooded. Medical services were transferred to the local Red Cross premises so care could continue.
Additional teams and vehicles were being mobilised on Saturday to support cleaning and recovery work.
Residents and volunteers joined the emergency response, with regional officials thanking those who helped from the outset.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences to the woman’s family and solidarity with affected residents as the town began assessing the damage.
