MADRID, Spain — A 102-year-old woman has died and about 90 people have been rescued after torrential rain sent floodwater through Madrigueras, a town in south-eastern Spain, inundating homes, sweeping away vehicles, and cutting roads.
The woman was found dead inside her home after water rose to more than a metre there, according to the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha.
Most of those rescued had become trapped in houses as the flooding spread through the municipality in Albacete province.
Madrigueras received 142 litres of rain per square metre in about two and a half hours on Friday, October 2, 2026, regional authorities said.
The downpour transformed streets into fast-moving channels and prompted an extensive emergency operation.
Residents Rescued From Flooded Homes
Emergency crews carried out roughly 90 rescues through Friday afternoon and into the evening, with many involving residents unable to leave waterlogged homes safely.
The Castilla-La Mancha government activated Operational Situation 1 of its METEOCAM severe-weather emergency plan as conditions worsened.
Emergency services also received numerous calls from residents seeking instructions and assistance as floodwater spread across the town.
Images from the area showed vehicles partly submerged or pushed together by the force of the water.
Spain’s Civil Guard warned that heavy runoff had flooded urban and interurban roads and carried vehicles away.
Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary journeys while emergency crews worked in the affected areas.
Cleanup Begins as Emergency Level Remains in Force
By Saturday, the most urgent rescue operation had shifted towards recovery.
The Castilla-La Mancha government said the Level 1 emergency declaration remained active while crews removed damaged vehicles, cleared streets, and assisted residents whose homes and businesses had been affected.
Additional teams from the regional forest and environmental service, GEACAM, joined personnel from the provincial fire service, Civil Guard, local police, Civil Protection, Red Cross, and neighbouring municipalities.
Flooding also affected public services.
The town’s health centre was among the buildings inundated, forcing medical services to operate temporarily from a local Red Cross facility.
Pedro Antonio Ruiz Santos, the Castilla-La Mancha government’s delegate in Albacete province, returned to Madrigueras on Saturday morning to coordinate recovery work with municipal and provincial authorities.
Several roads were closed during the emergency.
The CM-316 and AB-105 were later reopened, while the CM-3222 remained closed at kilometre five as crews continued working.
The regional government said the emergency response would remain in place while authorities assessed damage and continued cleaning areas affected by mud, debris, and displaced vehicles.
