The worst of the storm has hit the east of mainland Spain so far. | Photo: MORELL
Humphrey CarterPalma19/10/2026 12:02
Storm Adam, which has already claimed two lives, is causing ‘extraordinary’ rainfall and severe flooding in Valencia and Alicante, with rainfall totals exceeding 600 litres per square metre, rivers bursting their banks and people trapped on rooftops – a situation that has led the Valencian Regional Government to prepare a lockdown order for the affected municipalities.
Following a night of very heavy rainfall, the Valencian Regional Government is drawing up a lockdown order for the municipalities on the southern coast of Valencia and the northern coast of Alicante affected by the heavy rains, which have already resulted in rainfall totals of over 650 l/m² and have prompted the emergency services to deploy helicopters to rescue people affected by the flooding.
In addition, the Emergency Coordination Centre has sent a new Es-Alert message to the population of both provinces on the Levantine coast, urging them to avoid all travel, remain confined to their homes and move to upper floors, whilst avoiding basements and garages and not using lifts.
So far, the emergency services have dealt with 781 incidents related to this storm, 381 in the province of Alicante and 400 in the province of Valencia. Storm Adam has claimed the lives of two women: one in Catalonia, after being swept away by a stream, and another in Sagunto (Valencia), whose body was found after she went missing whilst swimming with her partner on Corinto beach. The man managed to get out of the water, but the woman, a foreign national, was unable to do so.
The President of the Balearics Regional Government, Marga Prohens, has called for “great caution and prudence” over the coming hours in light of the effects of Storm Adam and has expressed her support for the Valencian Community and Catalonia.