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Before and after pictures show devastating effects

Before and after pictures show devastating effects

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Reuters People clear a mud-covered street after heavy rain in Alfafar, ValenciaReuters

Locals clear debris in mud left by flash floods in Alfafar, Valencia

Spain is grappling with devastating floods that left more than 200 people dead and dozens missing this week.

Thousands of emergency responders and military personnel have been working on search and rescue operations in flood-affected regions, while locals have begun cleanup efforts and assessing the level of damage.

Further rainfall is expected over the weekend. A rain warning is in effect along the Huelva coast in the southwest and residents are urged to stay at home.

Before and after images show the extent of the damage caused by the flash flood and torrential rain, as they swept away buildings, piled up debris on roads and railways and destroyed bridges.

Google/Getty/BBC A comparison image showing a street in May 2024 and the same street in November 2024 full of damaged carsGoogle/Getty/BBC

Across Valencia, the hardest-hit region, cars were washed onto roads, train tracks and tunnels.

A large number of those killed were on the streets, in many cases returning from work, when the flash floods struck.

Google/Getty/BBC A comparison image showing a tunnel with a glass bridge in May 2024 and the same tunnel in November 2024 blocked by piled-up carsGoogle/Getty/BBC

The above tunnel, which connects the municipalities of Benetusser and Alfafar in Valencia, was blocked by a large number of cars swept away by the water.

Parts of Valencia, the country's third-largest city, received a year's worth of rain in just eight hours on Wednesday.

Dozens of meters of railway tracks have been damaged or completely destroyed, and rail traffic between Madrid and Valencia has been suspended while the tracks are being rebuilt.

Google/Getty/BBC A comparison image showing a residential street in May 2024 and the same street on October 30, 2024, destroyed by flash floods and covered in mud and rocksGoogle/Getty/BBC

Some streets and residential areas were destroyed by flash floods, like here in Letur, southwest of Valencia. The road is completely covered with mud, stones and rubble.

Satellite images give an idea of ​​how violently the water hit the coastal towns and show how much the landscape has changed in the last few days.

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