A 70-year-old man reportedly died in Portugal’s southern Alentejo region after his car was swept away on a flooded road near a dam.
Meanwhile, in Spain, a girl was dragged away by a river after trying to rescue her dog, as Storm Leonardo battered the Iberian Peninsula with heavy rains and strong winds.
Leonardo is the latest in a series of destructive winter storms that have swept across Portugal and Spain this year, killing several people, ripping roofs off homes, and flooding towns.
The storm follows last week’s Storm Kristin, which alone caused reconstruction costs in Portugal to exceed €4 billion ($4.7 billion), according to Economy Minister Manuel Castro Almeida.
In Alcácer do Sal, southern Portugal, residents waded through waist-deep floodwaters after the Sado River breached its banks. Restaurant terraces and streets were submerged, with sandbags placed in front of homes and shops.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s surreal,” said local resident Maria Cadacha.
In Spain, emergency services in Andalusia reported more than a million incidents by Wednesday midnight. Fourteen rivers and ten dams were at “extreme” risk of overflowing, according to Antonio Sanz, head of the regional government’s interior department.
Grazalema, a mountainous municipality, recorded over 40 centimetres of rain in just 24 hours, the equivalent of a year’s rainfall in Madrid, according to Aemet meteorological agency spokesman Ruben del Campo.
Around 3,500 people were evacuated in Andalusia, with hundreds of soldiers assisting rescue operations. Schools across the region were closed, and most trains were canceled as dozens of roads remained impassable.
Authorities warned that the region faces more severe weather, with Storm Marta expected to hit over the weekend. Both Portugal’s National Civil Protection and Spanish officials urged residents to stay vigilant, avoid flooded areas, and follow official instructions.
