Woman caught rescuing pet dog in terrifying Valencia floods as dozens killed in Spain storms

Dozens of people have been killed in Spain after horrific storms swept through the country on Tuesday.

At least 51 people have been confirmed to have died after flash flooding stuck Valencia, which left cars swept away and people trapped in their homes by the rising water.

Photos today have shown scenes of devastation in the region, along the east coast of the country, with a baby reportedly among those feared dead.

Floods of mud-coloured water tumbled vehicles down streets at frightening speeds. Pieces of wood swirled with household articles. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and cars.

One video from the scene showed a woman being rescued from severe flooding at her home, gripping her pet dog tightly as teams worked to winch her to a helicopter. Terrifying footage overnight showed the water surging through a street.

The Mirror reports that one person said on X: "A great person never abandons his pet. Not even when his house in Valencia is up to its neck in flood while it is being rescued. All my admiration."

More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas.

“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldon, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. He said several people were still missing in his town.

“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three metres,” he said.

Valencian regional president Carlos Mazon urged people to stay at home so as not to complicate rescue efforts, with travel by road already difficult due to fallen trees and wrecked vehicles.

“The neighbourhood is destroyed, all the cars are on top of each other, it’s literally smashed up,” Christian Viena, a bar owner in the Valencian village of Barrio de la Torre, said by phone.

“Everything is a total wreck, everything is ready to be thrown away. The mud is almost 30 centimetres deep.”

Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to help co-ordinate rescue efforts. The rain had subsided in Valencia by late Wednesday morning. But more storms were forecast through Thursday, according to Spain’s national weather service.

Spain is still recovering from a severe drought earlier this year. Scientists say increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.