Heavy rain fall of over 150 mm in 24 hours caused severe flooding in parts of northern Spain, prompting evacuations and dramatic rescues by helicopter.

Emergency Services in Asturias used a helicopter to rescue a family trapped in a home surrounded by flood water in Piloña on 24 November 2021. Emergency teams in boats rescued 1 person in Las Rozas and another in La Noceda, Arriondas.
Furthermore around 40 patients were evacuated from a hospital in Arriondas in Parres municipality due to the flooding. As a precaution, around 600 students and teachers from 2 schools in Arriondas were also evacuated.
Arriondas is located where the Piloña and Sella rivers converge. Both rivers were swollen after the heavy rain. According to figures from Spain’s State Meteorological Agency AEMET, in around a 24 hour period on 24 November, the village of Piloña recorded 87.2 mm of rain; Panizales 159.6 mm; Carreña 139.0 mm and Felechosa 94.4 mm.
Heavy rain also fell in neighbouring Cantabria, where emergency authorities carried out 22 interventions on 24 November. Roads were flooded in Cabezón de la Sal, Cabezón de Liébana, Miengo and Molleda.
Severe weather including heavy rain affected parts of southern and eastern Spain from 20 November. Around 30 buildings were damaged and 23 people rescued from trapped vehicles after flash floods in the municipality of Cartagena. Local officials said around 100 mm of rain fell in a few hours.
The rain then moved north into Valencia and Catalonia regions. Civil Protection in Catalonia said that, as of early 24 November, emergency teams had responded to incidents in in the comarcas of Baix Ebre (112 incidents), Tarragonès (105) and Barcelonès (54). Some flooding was also reported in Montsià comarca. Videos shared on Social Media showed vehicles stranded in on flooded roads in Tortosa and Tarragona. Firefighters rescued 3 people from stranded vehicles in Baix Ebre.

Social Media
El río Nora en #Siero a estas horas pic.twitter.com/b1TzEj2zV4
— 112 Asturias (@112Asturias) November 24, 2021
Activados por @112Cantabria por inundaciones en carreteras de #CabezónDeLaSal, rescate de una familia por la crecida de un arroyo y un árbol caído junto a #Bomberos del #SEMCA #112Cantabria.#Emergencias#ProtecciónCivil#LasProtesCuentan#Voluntarios#JuntosTodosSumamos https://t.co/6GPGvzCt67 pic.twitter.com/oI79cBPYVU
— Protección Civil Cabezón de Ia Sal (@PC_CabezonSal) November 24, 2021
Que poco aprecio por la vida!!#Sella #Piloña
Inundaciones en Arriondas pic.twitter.com/1dwAwowq1f— Fon (@10fon) November 24, 2021
A causa de les fortes pluges un home ha quedat atrapat amb un vehicle a l’Ametlla de Mar. Companys de Policia Marítima l’han pogut rescatar i entregar-li la maleta amb la màquina d’oxigen que necessitava i que tenia a l’interior del cotxe @bomberscat @semgencat pic.twitter.com/tvcyMTEVMi
— Mossos (@mossos) November 23, 2021
⚠️Carretera tallada⚠️
🚧La #TV3421, de #LaSénia a #Roquetes, està tallada al trànsit pel desbordament del barranc.
3 equips de #CarreteresDipta treballen per garantir la seguretat i resoldre incidències provocades pels aiguats🌧️
🚘☔️Màxima precaució pic.twitter.com/BQT02ej14e— Diputació de Tarragona (@Dipta_cat) November 23, 2021