On October 12, heavy flash floods in the northeastern parts of Catalonia, Spain, were triggered by torrential rain brought on by Storm Alice, trapping many motorists in their cars and prompting a surge in emergency service requests.
Spain’s national weather agency, AEMET, issued its highest-level red alert in southern Tarragona, one of Catalonia’s coastal provinces.
In the early hours of October 13, emergency services had rescued at least 31 people, most of whom were trapped in vehicles on the roads. One serious injury and 17 minor injuries have been reported so far by regional media sources, but no fatalities have been confirmed at this stage.
Indeed, extreme events like this are becoming more frequent with climate change, though the phenomenon is nothing new. History has recorded some truly terrifying floods—natural disasters that have killed thousands and destroyed homes and livelihoods. Click through and be reminded of some of the worst floods on record.