Between 8am and 2pm on Monday, the sky above Oliva and Pego (Valencia) became the only viable escape route. In just six hours, the crews ... of eleven helicopters managed to rescue 280 people who were in imminent danger.
As it was impossible to reach many of the flooded areas by land, the victims, who had repeatedly called the emergency number to ask for help, had to be hoisted by cranes directly from rooftops and high ground. Among the rescuees were a baby and several children.
The Valencia maritime rescue coordination centre coordinated 15 operations following a request for assistance from the regional government. After bringing a dozen residents to safety, the Helimer 202 helicopter left the area to refuel and returned shortly afterwards to take part in a further five air rescue operations.
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The swift and effective operation helped reduce emergency response times, although many of the victims had to wait several hours on rooftops and other high places due to the large number of people needing help.
The National Police also managed to rescue 93-year-old Teresa, whom the heavy rainfall had trapped in her home in the Valencian town of Gandía. During the operation, the police used a paddleboard.
More than 400mm of accumulated rainfall
The situation in Oliva worsened as more than 400mm accumulated, with most of the rainfall occurring within a short space of time. The rain caused the Girona river to burst its banks and led to flooding of plots of land in a residential area near the Palmera ravine, the Sèquia Mare and the Bullent river.
The authorities ordered the population not to leave their homes and to seek higher ground wherever possible. Along the coast, the situation was dire: roads were completely flooded and cars were almost entirely submerged.
From early on Monday morning, around 200 people were trapped in flooded areas. To support the helicopters and respond to emergencies on the ground, more than 40 police patrols were deployed in Oliva and the neighbouring municipalities.
Oliva town hall opened the municipal multi-purpose centre to accommodate the evacuees, including 30 people from the Eurocamping Oliva site, and provide them with initial care.