Recovery begins in Cubelles after major flooding amid calls for catastrophic zone declaration

The streets of Cubelles, south of Barcelona, awoke for the second consecutive day to scenes of devastation, with mud, debris, tree remnants, and dust still covering the area.

The torrential flooding and subsequent overflow of the Foix river on Saturday caused significant damage throughout the coastal town.

Throughout the day, residents could be seen pumping water out of garages and shops, many of which suffered severe damage, including destroyed vehicles.

"We're trying to return to normality," said mayor Rosa Fonoll. Early this morning, cleanup crews began blasting the streets with high-pressure water to remove the mud.

The mayor noted that recovery efforts will take “many days,” although she confirmed that electricity and water services have now been restored to all homes.

One of the worst-affected areas is the beach, where the red flag remains raised due to the large volume of sediment accumulated in the sea.

Cleanup has already started on the sand to repair the erosion caused by the flooding, though full restoration will take time.

The extensive damage has prompted the city council to consider requesting an official declaration of catastrophic zone status.

Such a declaration would allow the Spanish government to take charge of repairing material damages and providing financial aid to businesses and workers.

Although the local government has not yet calculated the total economic impact, their legal teams are currently assessing whether the conditions meet the criteria for such a declaration.

Meanwhile, Fonoll has openly criticized the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) for its handling of the crisis.

“They gave very little warning,” she said, referring to the emergency alerts that were sent late to residents’ phones.

The mayor also claimed that local authorities were not informed that the gates of the Foix reservoir had been opened until water had already reached the town.

“We’ve been complaining for over 40 years that the gates are clogged with mud and can’t be opened,” she emphasized.

The ACA, for its part, has defended its response. Officials stated that the river flow peaked at over 400 cubic meters per second, and that the dam retained half of that volume, significantly reducing the flood's impact on Cubelles.

Meanwhile, the search for two people reportedly swept away while crossing the Foix River has been suspended.

Firefighters called off the operation after two days, as no missing persons report was filed, and the search was based solely on the testimony of one witness who claimed to have seen the pair fall into the river.

To learn more about Catalonia's readiness to address emergencies like this one, listen to this episode of Filling the Sink.