Spain floods: 'Warning systems did not work' as death toll reaches 205 

A temporary morgue has been opened in Valencia, Spain’s third largest city, to cope with the sudden deaths.

The floods have claimed more lives than any other flood in Europe since 209 people died in Romania in 1970.

Some areas were still cut off from rescuers on Friday.

But locals went on foot to help neighbours in the stricken areas, carrying what aid they could.

Irishman Andrew White, co-founder of Valencia’s Sant Vicent GAA club, who has lived in the Spanish city for some 20 years, was one of these locals.

He walked from his undamaged home in Valencia city to the neighbouring town of Alfafar, one of the worst hit by the deadly floods. He said: 

There are still cars, two to three piled on top of each other on the streets. Some streets you still can’t get into. I don’t think there are people trapped there anymore but there may be bodies.

“It’s a very urban area, buildings five or six stories high.

“It’s very, very built up and there’s a lot of garages which are still full of water.

“So what’s down there we’ll have to find out.

“People have been digging out the mud and pushing the water out of the houses. 

“People there have been so grateful for any help.

“It’s the devastation. Every street you walk down there are mangled cars.

“Everything on the bottom floor of anyone’s house is destroyed, so it’s all out in the street.

“I didn’t see anything gruesome today at all. But the quantity of destruction took my breath away.”

Mr White said there was some anger among people in the homes hit by the flood.

One local man told him they had no warning of the sudden torrent of water that crashed through their streets and flooded their homes.

It seems the warning systems didn’t work. They were being told all day ‘it’s going to rain’ but it didn’t rain. But then they got hit by gigantic currents of water which they weren’t warned about.

Torrential rain in the hills inland caused rivers to suddenly burst their banks and cascade into the towns, he said.

“The incredible amount of rainfall that fell 50km away then all just created this torrent apparently,” Mr White said.

Valencia city, where Mr White lives and co-founded Sant Vicent GAA, escaped the damage but some surrounding areas have been badly hit.

Thousands and thousands of people come out to help clean up all the affected areas today. It's a difficult time, but everyone's out helping out.

Valencia GAA collected €4,000 in emergency flood relief in two days and people brought physical donations to the GAA club which members helped bring to some of the worst hit areas.

“People have been so generous. We had to start sending people to donate to organisations like the Red Cross instead which are organised to deal with big donations," Mr White said.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has advised Irish people not to travel to the affected regions.