By Annabel Bate
THIS is the horrific moment a waterspout tornado injures two in Spain as floods continue to devastate the country.
At least 205 have been tragically killed in the tsunami-like destruction as emergency responders have been desperately searching for missing people in cars and buildings.
Unbelievable footage shows the water rise and swirl amid flash floods in Spain[/caption]
A man walks by piled up cars after floods in Massanassa, just outside of Valencia[/caption]
The waterspout tornado made land in a popular seaside town in southern Spain.
One man was injured when a window smashed during the terrifying phenomenon in the Costa de la Luz resort of Isla Cristina fell onto his leg.
The council worker was in the municipal swimming pool at the time and suffered a “serious calf injury” in the horror ordeal.
The victim had a tourniquet put on him to slow down the bleeding before he was rushed to hospital.
Isla Cristina’s mayor Jenaro Orta said: “Fortunately he’s been stabilised and we’ve spoken to him and we hope he recovers as soon as possible.”
Another man suffered several cuts when the high winds smashed up his balcony, sustaining minor injuries.
Several windows were broken in the drama with the huge waterspout crossing the town near Spain’s southern border with Portugal.
It also ripped up trees and left small boats it flung up into the air on their side in one of the resort streets.
Mr Orta described the damage to buildings as “significant”, with affected areas sealed off with police tape.
In August tourists were filmed running in terror as waterspouts struck beach resorts in southern Italy.
The rotating columns of air and water mist are known to pose a serious danger to ships and aircraft because of the energy of the winds within them.
The average spout is around 165 feet in diameter, with wind speeds of 50 miles per hour.
At sea the wind speed can go as high as 150mph, while the largest waterspouts can be around 300 feet in diameter.
The catastrophic conditions in Isla Cristina, which has a population of just over 21,000 and is part of the south-west province of Huelva, happened yesterday around 4pm.
Now Huelva has received the deadly red alert with residents warned across Spain to “brace for more fatalities”.
Here there is “extreme risk” of incredible rainfall and a “significant risk” of storms, according to the weather map by Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET.
As the number of deaths in the Valencia region rose to at least 205 on Friday, a temporary morgue has been set up in the city
It sits on the outskirts of Valencia, according to emergency services, and the first bodies arrived early in the day.
Footage shows roads turn to rivers in the floods[/caption]
Vehicles are strewn across railway tracks after floods on the outskirts of Valencia[/caption]
Firefighters walk as people try to clear up the damage after floods[/caption]
The horrifically high death toll has sparked outrage among residents, with some accusing Spanish authorities of not warning people about the dangers posed by the weather soon enough.
500 soldiers joined in the search for missing people and another 500 were deployed in the worst affected region – Valencia.
Around 1,200 troops have already been helping with rescuing residents and conducting clean-up operations.
Psychologists have even been placed in the area to attend to residents and soldiers at the devastating scene.
Crews were searching for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings on Thursday as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes.
The municipality Alfafar has been left ruined by the unbelievable weather conditions, with the only heavy machinery working being tractors.
Located south of Valencia, emergency services haven’t been able to access the struck area until Friday.
Now the area has finally been returned to – and residents are having to return to see their home in utter devastation.
As desperate searches for missing people continues in Alfafar, Spanish outlet La Cadena SER has spoken to those there for the clean-up.
One person devastatingly said that workers “keep taking out cars” which is “a good sign, because if they stop it means they’ve found someone”.
Clean up works have also begun in Aldaia, Valencia as emergency crew remove cars left damaged by the deadly flood waters.
Heart-broken residents have also joined in on the massive operation.
Among those tragically killed in the horrific flash floods is a former Valencia CF player.
The Spanish football club has paid tributes to José Castillejo, 28, a midfielder who also played for teams like Torre Levante, Paterna and Eldense.
It said in a statement: “We regret the death of José Castillejo, a victim of the Dana disasters.
“He was part of the club’s Academy until his youth stage and has played for several teams in the Valencian Community. RIP.”
Eldense also paid tragic tribute to the rising star, saying, “Terrible news comes our way due to the catastrophic DANA.
“We deeply regret José Castillejo’s passing at 28, a former blue-and-red player in the 2015/2016 season. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”
A young footie star, Castillejo was trained at the Valencia youth academy before playing for local Spanish clubs like Torre Levante, Paterna, Eldense, Buñol, Recambios Colón, CD Roda and Villamarxant.
He also went on to play for CD Eldense during the 2015-2016 season.
A firefighter looks inside a car after heavy rains in Alfafar[/caption]
Streets have been flooded with mud and cars piled on top of each other[/caption]
Horror flash floods turned Valencia into an apocalyptic wasteland following Spain’s deadly floods.
Images from Thursday afternoon show the aftermath of the country’s worst natural disaster in living history.
Hundreds of abandoned cars and trucks can be seen trapped in murky brown sludge on the highway.
Civilians were made to ditch their motors as the torrential rainfall and flash floods engulfed much of eastern Spain on Tuesday.
Spain’s transport minister has been one of many officials scrambling to try and contain the crisis.
DEVASTATING FLOODS
Dramatic footage has been shared of how the flash floods in Valencia turned roads into rivers in a matter of minutes.
Shocking footage shared on social media by residents of the Spanish city and surrounding areas comes as the death toll for the disaster hits 205.
Two clips shared online show the speed at which the devastating flash floods took over the streets and gave inhabitants little to no time to flee.
Similar footage which was also filmed in Valencia, the worst-hit region of Spain, was shared on X by user @Rainmaker1973.
Gulliem Valenci who is credited with taking the footage, stood on a footpath while filming the flooded road in front of him.
Other onlookers were doing the same while some cars continued to drive around the other nearby streets which were still dry.
An off-duty police officer from Benetusser revealed how he saved the lives of two of his neighbours with a rope made of bedsheets when the flash floods hit the region.
As search and rescue crews continue to gain access to places previously cut off due to water and debris, the death toll is expected to rise.
Valencia Regional Authorities confirmed on Friday morning that the death toll has surpassed 200 people in what is one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s living history.
Cars are seen half submerged after floods in Valencia[/caption]
A view of the disaster zone as search and rescue efforts and aid delivery process continue[/caption]
Source: The Sun
Category: News, World News, missing person, Police, Weather – Latest forecast for the UK
