A mother and her 18-year-old daughter died on Tuesday from injuries sustained when a wall collapsed on them during Saturday’s severe storm in Roda de Berà (Tarragona). The local council confirmed their deaths, declared two days of official mourning and held a minute of silence in their memory on Tuesday evening.
The incident occurred near the port, where the two women, part of a family of night market vendors, had just finished packing up their stall and were taking a break to eat. The wall belonged to a residential property next to the port area. Mayor Pere Virgil said the victims were not working at the time but resting after the market closed.
The storm that hit the Costa Dorada region last Saturday caused impressive damage across several municipalities, including Torredembarra, El Vendrell, Creixell, Altafulla and Roda de Berà. In total, 11 people were injured, and the two women were among the most seriously affected. The local government said the Es-Alert emergency notification system was not activated because the meteorological alert level did not meet the threshold for such warnings.
Following the storm, the mayors of Roda de Berà and El Vendrell called for urgent structural measures to stop the railway line from blocking water flow during heavy rainfall. Both officials refrained from criticizing the regional government’s decision not to send an Es-Alert, acknowledging how difficult it is to predict rainfall intensity. The Catalan government defended its response, saying decisions were made collectively and based on technical criteria.
Fatal accidents linked to severe weather are not uncommon in Spain, especially in coastal regions where infrastructure can be vulnerable to sudden storms. The deaths in Roda de Berà have renewed attention on the need for improved drainage and safety measures near residential and commercial areas. Similar incidents have prompted investigations elsewhere in the country, including the recent case of a woman found dead on a beach in Puçol, detailed in this related report.
Roda de Berà’s local authorities have expressed condolences and support to the affected family. The community now faces questions about the adequacy of current infrastructure and the protocols for warning residents during extreme weather events. As climate patterns shift, such incidents may prompt further review of emergency preparedness and urban planning in vulnerable coastal zones.
