Torrential rainfall has caused widespread flooding across parts of southeastern Spain, with the municipality of Los Alcázares in the Region of Murcia among the areas facing serious disruption as authorities urged residents to take precautions and move to higher ground.
The Los Alcázares City Council called on residents to take only essential belongings and move toward higher areas of the municipality as intense rainfall caused water to accumulate rapidly across the urban area. Local rainfall gauges operated by the Southeast Meteorological Association, AMETSE, recorded extremely high accumulations during the episode, with the municipality later reporting approximately 200 litres per square metre in the centre during the full event.
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The situation became particularly difficult on Friday as intense rainfall coincided with flooding in streets and the movement of water from surrounding drainage channels and ramblas. Authorities warned residents to remain in safe areas and avoid unnecessary travel.
Earlier in the emergency, the mayor of Los Alcázares, Mario Pérez Cervera, urged residents to move to upper floors of their homes, keep essential supplies nearby and remain protected. Older residents were advised to contact emergency services if they required assistance. Some people were also rescued from vehicles affected by rising water.
The episode intensified concerns around the Rambla del Albujón, a major drainage channel in the area. Authorities warned that its capacity was being heavily tested and urged residents to remain away from areas at risk of flooding or overflowing.
The rainfall also created significant difficulties around schools. Los Alcázares is home to the IES Antonio Menárguez Costa, a public secondary school attended by approximately 1,200 students. The municipality said the evacuation of students became particularly challenging as the heaviest rainfall coincided with the end of the school day and families began arriving by car to collect their children.
According to the municipality, rainfall between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. reached 135 litres per square metre, while 104 litres were recorded in just 70 minutes between 2:05 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The figures substantially exceeded the rainfall intensity initially anticipated under the weather warning.
The flooding has affected roads, homes, businesses and other infrastructure across the municipality. Emergency and municipal teams have been deployed to remove mud and debris, pump water from affected areas and restore access to streets.
The wider Campo de Cartagena area has also experienced major disruption. Roads have been flooded or closed, vehicles have become trapped and emergency services have responded to numerous calls related to the storm. Across the Region of Murcia, the emergency coordination centre handled hundreds of calls linked to the rainfall, including requests for rescues and assistance with water removal.
The weather emergency has extended beyond Murcia. In Madrigueras, in the neighbouring province of Albacete, intense rainfall caused major flooding, with authorities reporting 142 litres per square metre and around 90 people rescued from affected homes. A 102-year-old woman died after floodwater entered her home.
The scale of the rainfall has also affected transport infrastructure in the region, with several roads becoming impassable and authorities urging people to avoid unnecessary journeys. Emergency teams have continued working to assist residents and clear affected areas.
In Los Alcázares, the municipality has subsequently called for a review of emergency protocols following the episode. City officials said the rainfall intensity was significantly greater than the levels initially anticipated and argued that emergency planning needs to account for the particular flood vulnerability of individual municipalities.
The municipality has also renewed its call for structural measures further upstream, particularly around the headwaters of the area’s ramblas. Local authorities argue that measures within Los Alcázares alone cannot fully address the volume of water and sediment that can reach the municipality from higher areas during exceptionally intense rainfall.
The latest episode has once again highlighted the flood risks facing communities around the Mar Menor and Campo de Cartagena, where low-lying urban areas can be particularly exposed when intense rainfall combines with runoff from surrounding catchments.As emergency teams continue recovery work, residents have been urged to follow official instructions, stay away from flooded roads and waterways, and avoid driving through areas where water has accumulated.
The authorities’ immediate priority remains the safety of residents and the restoration of normal conditions, while the municipality has called for longer-term coordination between local, regional and national authorities to strengthen flood prevention and emergency response measures.
