Spain has been left reeling from its deadliest natural disaster in decades as devastating flash floods swept the country’s Eastern coast.
In Valencia, entire communities were plunged beneath the water as the region received a year’s worth of rain in just eight hours.
Now, shocking satellite photos lay bare the true extent of the devastation.
The images, taken by the Copernicus Earth monitoring program, show areas where thousands have been trapped inside their homes.
In the south of Valencia, huge swathes of the countryside were still submerged two days after the flooding began.
And near the coast, you can see the vast plume of mud washed into the ocean by the torrents.
Copernicus estimates that 11,000 people have been affected in the town of Algemesi alone, where more than 60 miles (100km) were flooded.
Across the region, 158 deaths have already been reported – with the number only expected to rise over the coming days.
These satellite images show Valencia’s water treatment plant before (left) and after (right) the deadly flash flood swept through
These photos show the Paiporta district of Valencia before (left) and after (right) the flood. You can see how the Paiporta bridge was destroyed by the raging waters
Satellite imagery taken by the EU’s Copernicus satellite programme has revealed the true extent of Valencia’s disastrous flooding. In this image taken on October 31, the areas marked blue were flooded
Valencia’s flooding began on October 29 as the region was hit by an unprecedented storm.
The resulting flash flood poured through Valencia and its nearby towns, leaving hundreds trapped in their homes, with many even forced to climb trees, scale lampposts and sprint desperately to the upper floors of buildings to escape.
It is the worst flood-related catastrophe in Spain since 1996 when 87 people died and 180 were injured in a flash flood near Biesca in the Pyrenees.
In one image taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite, you can see the flood levels as they stood on October 31.
The areas shaded blue represent areas that were still flooded at the time the satellite passed overhead.
As you can see, the area around the Albufera Lake has been badly flooded, with the waters extending as far south as the town of Sueca.
Within the city of Valencia itself, the flooding has been more concentrated – largely affecting the area around the Turia River which was rerouted in the 1960s as a flood defence.
Closer inspection reveals a range of smaller flooding hotspots around the city, mainly following roads and large streets which allowed the water to run freely.
In this image taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite, you can see the vast plume of brown mud swept out to sea by the force of the flooding
Search and rescue teams have begun to search for survivors (pictured), 155 people have already been confirmed dead
The city of Valencia (pictured) and the surrounding area were hit by Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in decades as flash flooding turned the streets into rivers
A second image, taken on October 30 shows the staggering extent of the floodwaters in their true colours.
In the satellite photograph, you can see a vast area of brown water extending south of Valencia towards the town of Cullera.
This massive expanse of water is what was left behind as the rains swept through the region.
Copernicus says: ‘The massive amount of sediment poured into the Mediterranean Sea by the rivers in the Valencian Community is clearly visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image.’
In the sea near Valencia, you can see the brown smudge of mud which was dumped into the ocean.
The majority of the sediment is being deposited near the mouth of the Turia where the flood waters were most concentrated.
Another satellite photograph by NASA’s Earth Observatory shows that the worst of the devastation is concentrated to the south of the Turia.
In these areas, entire streets, neighbourhoods, and towns have been covered by the dark brown floodwaters.
These satellite images taken by NASA’s Earth Observatory show the region before (left) and after (right) the flood submerged entire towns beneath the water
Valencia received a year’s worth of rain in just eight hours, causing waters to rise several meters in some areas of the city
People walk through an affected area of Paiporta, Vallencia. The streets have been filled with flood sediment and broken cars by the force of the water
These satellite observations also allow scientists to begin understanding the true scale of the devastation in the region.
Using satellite measurements, Copernicus estimates that 2.2 square miles (5.68 kilometres square) were submerged by water.
The flooding is believed to have directly affected the homes of 11,000 of the 27,000 people in the town as well as covering 60 miles (100km) of road and four miles (6.4km) of railway.
In the wider Valencia region, Copernicus estimates that more than 100,000 homes have been left without power.
As cleanup efforts continue, the exact levels of loss will become clear but it is already clear that these floods have been utterly devastating.
In the town of Paiporta, a shocking video showed a bridge collapsing under the weight of the floodwater.
Terrified onlookers screamed as the concrete pillars cracked and eventually gave way and plunged into the water, its streetlamps were seen flickering briefly before they were abruptly extinguished and lost beneath the raging floods.
The first fatalities were confirmed by Valencia’s political leader Carlos Mazon in the early hours of Wednesday with news of ‘several fatalities’ in the town of Letur.
A satellite image of Valencia clearly shows where the worst affected parts of the city as the brown flood waters cover vast regions of land south of the city
A man rides on a bike past broken cars in the Sedavi district of Valencia, it is estimated that more than 100,000 homes are currently without power in the region
The Spanish government has convened a crisis committee and deployed 1,000 soldiers to the region. The true scope of the devastation will likely only become apparent in the days to come. Pictured, the Sedavi region of Valencia
It is now believed that at least 158 have been killed in the Valencia region, but rescuers expect more bodies to be found as the water recedes.
This morning, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sought to reassure victims that the government ‘would not abandon’ them.
‘All of Spain weeps with all of you. Our absolute priority is to help you… We won’t abandon you,’ Sanchez said in a televised address.
Spain’s government announced the creation of a crisis committee – the equivalent of Britain’s Cobra emergency response committee – as the size of the disaster became apparent.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles said earlier this morning more than 1,000 members of the Military Emergencies Unit UME, a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, had been mobilised to help with rescue efforts in Valencia province.
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