A woman from Malgrat de Mar remained missing after a swollen stream swept her away in Cabrera de Mar. Her daughter was rescued by the girl’s father as Cabrils recorded 37.8 litres per square metre in 10 minutes.
The storm moved across Catalunya from east to west, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds. In Cabrera de Mar, firefighters were still searching for a woman swept into a stream as the edition closed. The emergency call came in at 19:41 on 17 October.
Cabrils recorded 37.8 litres per square metre in just 10 minutes, a record for the automatic weather stations managed by the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya, or Meteocat. The station registered 64.2 litres in about 30 minutes. Other reports put the total for the episode at around 73 litres.
The missing woman, a Malgrat de Mar resident in her 40s, had fallen into the water with one of her daughters after the family was caught by the rising flow. The girl’s father went into the stream and rescued her. Six fire crews initially joined Mossos d’Esquadra in the search. Salvament Marítim also took part, and later reports put the deployment at 12 units. Specialist GRAE firefighters and local police from Vilassar de Mar were involved. Cabrera de Mar mayor Oscar Fernández told Canal 24 Horas that emergency services were working intensively to find the woman.
The downpour was also severe in La Bisbal del Penedès, where Meteocat recorded 36.8 litres per square metre in 10 minutes. In Cabrera de Mar, water ran down from Burriac and the surrounding area to feed the stream.
Authorities began issuing alerts at 13:20 in La Selva. The warnings also covered the Maresme and Vallès Oriental, where residents were told to limit travel and stay away from flood-prone areas. Protecció Civil activated the Inuncat flood plan for the intense rain forecast across Catalunya on 17 and 18 October.
People were warned not to cross rivers or streams. Authorities also advised them to avoid low-lying areas where water could collect. Drivers were told to move cars away from streams, but vehicles were again seen obstructing the flow.
At 16:20, Protecció Civil sent alerts to the Vallès Occidental and Barcelonès. The Baix Llobregat and Garraf received alerts next. The Catalan message extended the warning until 2am, while its Spanish version gave a midnight end time. Granollers received a further alert shortly after 20:00. Some rain gauges there recorded more than 50 litres per square metre.
Flooding disrupted road and rail services. Water closed the GI-552 in Riells i Viabrea, in La Selva, while drivers on parts of the C-17 were told to take extra care. In Sentmenat, emergency services rescued two older people from a vehicle after water trapped them inside.
Rodalies interrupted the R2 Sud and southern regional services at 22:00. The R1, which runs through the Maresme, was reduced to a single track between Vilassar de Mar and Mataró, causing delays. Conditions in Barcelona were less severe by the close of the edition. Storms were concentrated over the sea and affected some coastal neighbourhoods. Another storm front was forecast from the following day.
