At least 202 people died in Valencia, the area hardest hit by severe flooding. Three more victims were from Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia.
In the past few days, Valencia has experienced as much rain as it normally receives all year round. The river burst its banks and almost completely destroyed buildings, roads, railroad tracks, and bridges.
Spain. Dramatic situation after the flood
Four regions, including Valencia, remain under a yellow warning, according to the state weather bureau, Emmett. Storms with heavy rain and strong winds are expected next week.
See also: Floods in Spain. Authorities report increasing number of victims
More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain's emergency response force were sent to the scene earlier this week to support local emergency services. On Friday, Spain's Defense Minister Margarita Robles said 500 more soldiers were on the ground and more troops would be sent if needed.
– Their mission is to help look for people who may be in the basement or lower floors, but unfortunately there are a lot of them. It will also help pump water and enable transportation so food and water can reach affected people, she said.
Approximately 75,000 homes have no electricity. For emergency services and operations, firefighters run generators and obtain gasoline from abandoned vehicles. As the death toll rises, a temporary mortuary has been opened at the Feria Valencia Convention Center on the outskirts of Valencia.
See also: Tragic report from Spain. National mourning, more victims to come
Residents of Paiporta, a suburb of Valencia, were left to defend their shops themselves as bottled water supplies ran out in some areas and looters took to the streets. More than 50 people have already been arrested on suspicion of theft.
The floods also submerged thousands of hectares of farmland. Currently, the following collections are in progress. orange and persimmon. Most fruit that is not harvested by the deadline cannot be used. Some trees may die.
Valencia accounts for almost two-thirds of Spain's citrus production, the world's largest orange exporter. Farmers estimate their losses to be in the tens of millions of euros.
No warning or quick response
The rising death toll and lack of aid in some parts of Valencia have sparked anger among Spaniards. Some have accused authorities of being poorly prepared and too slow to warn residents of the dangers of the storm.
Some residents say they received warning text messages from: Tuesday 20:00. By then it had been raining heavily for several hours.
See also: The lake has been empty for decades. The Sahara desert flood changed everything
Carlos Mazon, head of Valencia's regional government, said all crisis management procedures were being followed and authorities began warning residents from Sunday.
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