Two dead, at least one missing after floods in Spain's Catalonia, authorities say

Two people died after heavy rain caused flooding in Spain's Catalonia region on Sunday, 4 October 2026, according to authorities cited by Reuters and Deutsche Welle. Reuters reported one person missing. Deutsche Welle said at least one.

One person died when a wall collapsed at a campsite in Tordera, north of Barcelona, according to Catalan firefighters as cited by Deutsche Welle. Another drowned in a flooded garage in Montornes del Valles. Emergency services were searching for a missing person in Pineda de Mar, about 52 kilometres north of Barcelona, Deutsche Welle reported.

More than 100 millimetres of rain fell overnight in numerous locations, according to Spain's AEMET weather agency as cited by Deutsche Welle.

Deutsche Welle reported that homes were flooded and vehicles submerged in towns near Barcelona, and that local rail services were disrupted. Emergency crews rescued people trapped in vehicles on flooded streets in Granollers and other communities. Flights at Barcelona airport were cancelled or delayed, shops closed early, and sporting and cultural events were called off, according to the outlet.

Civil protection authorities sent alerts to people living near the Besos River warning that it could burst its banks, Deutsche Welle reported. Residents were told to move to upper floors if flooding occurred.

What each side says

Authorities warned of an "extreme danger" in parts of Barcelona and Girona, according to Deutsche Welle, with rivers at risk of overflowing and residents in some areas urged to stay indoors. The report does not identify which authority issued the warning.

Deutsche Welle quoted Salvador Illa, the Catalan regional leader, as urging residents to exercise "the greatest caution" and to follow instructions from emergency services.

Background

According to Deutsche Welle, the storms are linked to a weather phenomenon known in Spain as a DANA, or "cold drop". It occurs when cold air high in the atmosphere meets warm, moist air rising from the Mediterranean. Floods linked to a DANA killed 238 people in eastern Spain, mostly in Valencia, in October 2024, the outlet reported.

A study published in 2026 found that human-caused climate change intensified the rainfall in the 2024 Valencia floods, according to Deutsche Welle. The outlet notes that the finding applies only to that event and that a separate analysis would be needed for the current flooding. The reports do not identify the study's authors.

What is not known

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not give the identities, ages or nationalities of the two people who died. They do not describe how the person in Pineda de Mar went missing. They do not say whether the Besos or other rivers overflowed. They include no figures for people rescued or evacuated, homes affected, or flights cancelled or delayed. The Reuters report gives the toll only and does not name the authorities it cites.

Analysis

The toll and the scale of damage could change as the search continues and conditions develop, and the reports give no figures yet on rescues or affected homes. Whether rivers such as the Besos overflow may shape how the next hours unfold. The comparison with the 2024 Valencia floods is likely to draw attention to warning systems and public response, but the reports offer no basis for assessing either here. On climate change, the only cited study concerns the 2024 event. Any link to the current flooding would require separate analysis, as Deutsche Welle notes.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.