Weather & Science
Deadly Spain Floods Show Difficulty of Adapting to Intense Rains
Climate change helped create conditions that are the “perfect breeding ground” for extreme downpours.
Emergency workers clear debris the morning after heavy rains and flash floods hit the area in Letur on Oct. 30.
Photographer: Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images
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Floods that killed more than 150 people in eastern Spain this week were caused by a storm that dumped a year’s worth of rainfall in less than 24 hours.
The tragedy has raised questions about whether earlier warnings could have prevented so many deaths, while the widespread damage shows how many cities aren’t adapted to withstand rainfall amplified by climate change.