Torrential overnight rains unleashed flash flooding across Spain's Costa Dorada on Saturday, injuring at least seven people and forcing the evacuation of roughly 400 residents and holidaymakers in the province of Tarragona. One person was left in critical condition and another seriously hurt when a wall collapsed at a home near the marina in Roda de Berà, trapping three family members beneath the rubble.
Firefighters pulled some 300 campers to safety after floodwaters engulfed a campsite in Roda de Berà, where a second wall collapse caused two minor injuries. About 100 young people were also led from a nightclub in El Vendrell to a nearby school. Emergency services received more than 700 calls as parts of the Baix Penedès area recorded nearly 200 litres of rain per square metre, cutting the N-340 highway and disrupting rail services.
Catalan Justice Minister Ramon Espadaler defended the decision not to issue an emergency mobile alert, saying weather forecasts had not justified one. Authorities warned that heavy rain could persist.