Expat in Spain floods says they're 'surrounded by water' as death toll soars past 150

An expat living in Spain says he's found himself trapped and unable to leave his town which is "surrounded by water". The country has began three days of mourning as the death toll reached 158 people.

It's the worst flooding event that Spain has experienced in a century. Rescue operations continue with workers searching for victims in stranded vehicles and drenched buildings.

John Fahy, 55, is an expat teacher, who lives in the coastal town of Cullera, south of Valencia. He described the dire situation in which local supermarkets have been left without food, and he says it's unlikely that new deliveries will come any time soon.

The death toll in the eastern Valencia region alone has risen to 155, alongside two fatalities in Castilla La Mancha and another British victim in southern Andalusia. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter

Mr Fahy, originally from Dublin, reported to the PA news agency: "The army was only sent in two, three hours ago, because now they’re finding more bodies in garages. We can’t leave our town because it’s flooded all around.

"There’s no-one in the shops in Cullera because there’s no food and there won’t be for a while." Mr Fahy was driving home, a 30km journey north of Valencia, when the storm hit on Tuesday.

Recounting his experience, he said: "When I left my work at 5pm, it was hell coming home. I was driving through the storm in the slow lane at 80km per hour. I wanted to stop, but I couldn’t stop on the highway. I was scared."

"And there was a truck behind me flashing the lights. He was centimetres away from me. I got home OK, but I was scared."

Spain has been struck by its worst natural disaster in decades, leaving a path of devastation that includes cars stacked atop each other, uprooted trees, and fallen power lines. The catastrophic floods have destroyed bridges and rendered roads unrecognisable.

With an unspecified number of individuals still missing, there is a grim possibility that more victims may be discovered. "Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles," disclosed Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente.

Scientists have indicated that climate change appears to be the most plausible cause, attributed to a warmer atmosphere's capacity to hold more moisture and consequently produce more intense rainfall.

Have you been affected by the flooding in Spain? Contact our newsdesk at newsdesk@walesonline.co.uk