Two people have died and another remains missing after overnight storms battered Catalonia, where rivers continue to rise and the Generalitat has urged people to stay alert. The emergency number 112 received 3,042 calls during the storm’s peak, 2,252 of them directly related to flooding, information from official data.
Tordera was among the first places hit: a wall at a campsite collapsed, killing one person. In Montornès del Vallès, firefighters found a missing resident dead on Sunday morning. Another person disappeared in Pineda de Mar, where the search continues. Thousands have needed help, stretching authorities as they respond to the storm.
Emergency crews are overwhelmed. Bombers de la Generalitat had answered 1,400 calls by 9:45 a.m. In Granollers, people were trapped on top of their cars in flooded roundabouts, prompting the subaquatic rescue team to step in. Roads became rivers, putting homes at risk. In L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, firefighters evacuated a family after water caused part of their ceiling to collapse.
Transport has been badly disrupted. The AVE high-speed rail service between Tarragona and France is shut, while Rodalies commuter trains in Barcelona and Girona have stopped running. Dozens of passengers spent the night stranded at Sants station, unable to get home. The C-17 and C-60 are among the major roads closed after landslides and floods blocked several routes. Barcelona’s metro resumed service only after midnight. At El Prat airport, flights were canceled or delayed by up to four hours. Civil Protection told travelers to check their flights before leaving home.
Rainfall totals reached 226 litres per square metre in Cabrils, 224 in Granollers and 220 in Mataró. Granollers recorded 68 litres in just thirty minutes. Barcelona’s Raval observatory had its wettest day in 20 years, while Badalona recorded its highest rainfall in 21 years. The Besòs reached 520 cubic metres per second at Santa Coloma de Gramenet, and all access to the Parc Fluvial del Besòs is closed. The Ripoll, Mogent and riera de Tenes rivers have also exceeded alert levels.
The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) said the Besòs exceeded its danger threshold in the lower reaches, posing an immediate risk of flooding. It reported that most emergency calls came from Barcelona’s southern metropolitan area (439) and northern metropolitan area (239), with isolated incidents also reported in Girona and central Catalonia.
The storm was moving toward Girona, and Civil Protection sent repeated ES-Alert warnings. People in Vallès Oriental, Maresme, Selva, Baix Empordà and Gironès were told to follow mobility restrictions. Another alert went to residents near the Besòs, where overflow poses a real risk. Some restrictions may change as the weather shifts. The warning was direct: “Do not let your guard down.”
President Salvador Illa described the night as “complicated” and said the storm was not over. Meteorologists have not called it a “Mediterranean mini-hurricane,” but officials say the rainfall is unlike anything seen before. They urged people to take care until at least 14:00. Since the crisis began, the emergency number 112 has received 6,000 calls.
Flooding and building collapses have disrupted daily life for thousands in Catalonia. In the south of Barcelona’s metropolitan area, water filled streets and forced people from their homes. The C-17 remained blocked at Ciutat Meridiana, and landslides hit the C-16 near Sant Cugat.
Earlier warnings had pointed to possible severe flooding, as reported previously. The impact has exceeded even the most cautious forecasts.
The storm’s center was over Girona, and the Generalitat urged people to remain vigilant. The past 24 hours exposed the vulnerability of Catalonia’s infrastructure to extreme weather. Authorities say a fast, coordinated emergency response is critical, with priorities including saving lives and restoring basic services.
