Flash floods swamp Bilbao city centre, Basque emergency services say
Heavy rain flooded central Bilbao and caused about 150 incidents across Bizkaia on Saturday, as a wider storm system battered northern Spain.
Heavy rain lasting almost two hours flooded streets and roads across Bizkaia on Saturday, with Bilbao's historic centre among the worst affected, Basque emergency services said. The Basque government's emergency coordination centre, known as SOS Deiak, recorded 150 weather-related incidents by 20:30, 137 of them in Bilbao, El País reported.
The storm broke with particular force over Bilbao in the afternoon, catching many residents and visitors by surprise as they sat on outdoor terraces in the Casco Viejo old quarter, El País reported. Several central streets flooded within less than an hour, with water reaching knee height in places; on steeper streets, fast-moving currents made it difficult for some residents to get back to their homes. Some people chose to wait out the storm on the terraces, while others tried to make their way out of the narrowest streets, El País reported.
Floodwater entered bars and ground-floor garages, and some shopkeepers put wooden boards across their doorways to keep the water out while firefighters worked to pump it from several premises, El País reported. The La Avanzada tunnels in Leioa were closed because of standing water, and similar flooding was reported in Getxo, Basauri, Laudio, Galdakao, Sestao and Erandio.
One resident told Observator News that shelves in a shop fell over and water rose to waist height within minutes as the rain intensified, an account that matched the speed of the flooding described by El País in the Casco Viejo district. Witnesses in both accounts described streets turning into fast-moving water within a very short span of time, leaving little chance to reach shelter before conditions worsened.
The Basque weather service, Euskalmet, kept an orange alert in place for Bizkaia until midnight, with rain expected to ease overnight as the storm moved south; a lower-level yellow alert remained in force until 06:00 on Sunday, El País reported. The wider storm system, which began on Thursday, was expected to continue affecting Spain until Wednesday, according to the newspaper.
What we know
- 1 outlet · El País, EFE +1 Basque emergency services recorded 150 weather-related incidents in Bizkaia by 20:30 Saturday, 137 of them in Bilbao
- 2+ outlets · El País, Observator News Central Bilbao streets flooded within under an hour, with water reaching knee height in places
- 1 outlet · El País, EFE +1 Floodwater entered bars and garages; firefighters pumped water from several premises
- 1 outlet · El País, EFE +1 Tunnels in Leioa were closed, with further flooding reported in six other Bizkaia municipalities
- 1 outlet · El País, EFE +1 Euskalmet kept an orange alert for Bizkaia until midnight, downgraded to yellow until 06:00 Sunday
- 1 outlet · El País, EFE +1 Eleven of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities were under some form of weather warning that weekend
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Bilbao's flooding was one part of a wider, multi-day storm system that left large parts of northern and eastern Spain under weather warnings at the same time, with eleven of Spain's autonomous communities under some form of alert that weekend, El País reported. The Casco Viejo district that bore the brunt of the Bilbao flooding is one of the city's main tourist and nightlife areas.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- El País: Las fuertes lluvias inundan el centro de Bilbao y causan numerosas incidencias en Bizkaia
- EFE: Registradas 150 incidencias por la lluvia en Bizkaia, con inundaciones y balsas de agua
- Observator News: Mărturia unui spaniol, după inundaţiile devastatoare: "Toate rafturile au căzut. Apa ajungea până la brâu"
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many incidents did the Bilbao flooding cause?
- Basque emergency services recorded 150 weather-related incidents across Bizkaia by Saturday evening, 137 of them in Bilbao.
- Was anyone hurt in the Bilbao floods?
- No casualties have been reported in Bilbao itself.
- Were other areas affected?
- Yes. Flooding and road closures were also reported in Leioa, Getxo, Basauri, Laudio, Galdakao, Sestao and Erandio, and the storm was part of a wider weather system affecting much of Spain.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.