Spain Hit With Devastating Floods in Busy Tourist Destinations—What Travelers Should Know

Travel + Leisure

5 days ago

As droves of tourists continue to flock to Spain for European summer vacations, the nation's emergency responders are dealing with the aftermath of a violent wave of flash flooding in nearly half of the country's 50 provinces. Reuters reported that emergency services received more than 200 calls related to the flooding.
The flooding took place on Saturday, but the extremity of the weather event is still causing concern days later. In videos, cars are underwater and streets are unrecognizable.
In Catalonia, the northeastern region of the country, two people are missing and search parties are underway. At the Penedès Regional Hospital, south west of Barcelona, 71 patients were evacuated and transported to other regional hospitals after Penedés lost electricity during the storms.
In an incident that has since made international headlines, a Delta flight departing Barcelona to New York City during the chaos was forced to turn back after a hail damaged the nose of the plane.
On July 12, Spain's weather agency AEMET issued warnings for Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón. In Barcelona, one of the summer's most popular travel destinations—and therefore one suffering the most from overtourism—more than six inches of rain fell in less than three hours.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez took to X on Saturday to say his office was closely monitoring the situation and advised use excessive caution in the affected areas. 'Follow civil protection instructions and avoid travel,' the statement said. 'Please exercise extreme caution.'
This summer's flooding is particularly worrisome after Spain's deadly 2024 flooding. In October of last year, the country experienced the deadliest floods in decades in Valencia. More than 200 people were killed in the catastrophe, and thousands more were displaced from their homes and businesses. In March 2025, three weeks of heavy rain led to more flooding and destruction.
The most recent flooding was caused by the same weather pattern that caused flooding in 2024. According to Reuters, Spain named the phenomenon the acronym DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which translates to isolated depression at high levels. It is when cold air and hot air meet to form ultra-powerful storms outside of the usual jet streams. Scientists believe these unpredictable, destructive storms are linked to climate change.
Given the affected region's increasingly volatile weather events, travelers should closely monitor the weather before and during their trips. Spain's AEMET has a page dedicated to weather warnings; you can also use your weather app and check the U.S. Embassy website for up-to-date weather warnings and other safety advisories.
If you are planning on traveling to a city hard hit by recent flooding, make sure to do research beforehand about any safety issues that you could encounter and be aware that resources could be spread thin in the aftermath of a natural disaster.