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Rain hits Valencia - 11th November 2024
The Valencia region of Spain is usually dry. But recently, in just one day, the region had one year's rain. The streets were like rivers.
The Spanish weather organisation, AEMET, explained. The heavy rain was because of the weather – there was a 'cold drop'. In a cold drop, cold air meets warm air. It makes rain clouds very fast.
Cold drops often happen in the east and south of Spain. It's because of the mountains and the sea.
On the ground, the rain became big floods. Over 200 people died.
People in towns like Paiporta are trying to clean up. Vanesa Cruanyes lives opposite a shop. During the flood, she saw people couldn't get out.
Vanesa Cruanyes: "In this shop all the workers were trapped inside when the lights went. They’d pulled down the shutters and they were all trapped inside, until the glass broke in this window from the force of the water and they were able to get out to some cars that were here. They got into the cars. They managed to get a little girl and another woman up to the first floor with sheets."
Neighbours are afraid for local businesses. They're stopping people stealing things from shops. Sofia Sánchez is a student.
Sofia Sanchez: "We came down at two o'clock in the morning or so, because we saw that they were looting the tobacconist's there, and we said, well, they're going into the jewellery shop, they're going to enter the Chinese shop, they're going to enter every store. And we've been taking turns."
Heavy rain's now falling on other regions. The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, is sending help. But for Valencia, the future looks dark at the moment.
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