Satellites watch devastating floods in Spain from space (photos)

two images of a coastline, side by side. the second shows a lot of dirt flowing into the coastal area due to floods
A side-by-side set of Landsat satellite images of Spain, showing the country before and after devastating flooding in October 2024. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.)

Satellite images captured deadly flooding in eastern Spain caused by torrential rainfall on Tuesday (Oct. 29).

Landsat and Maxar satellites imaged the damage, which came after the region experienced more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain, according to Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET.

Landsat 8's operational land imager scrutinized the area on Wednesday (Oct. 30), tracking "sediment-laden waters" in the coastal city of Valencia, NASA officials stated. (Landsat is jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.)

Related: How satellite data has proven climate change is a climate crisis

"Sediment-laden floodwaters also filled the channel of the Turia river, which empties into the Balearic Sea — part of the Mediterranean — and the L'Albufera coastal wetlands south of the city," the NASA statement added.

an overhead view of a roundabout surrounded by flooded buildings

The aftermath of flooding in Valencia, Spain captured in Maxar satellite imagery on Oct. 31, 2024. (Image credit: Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies)

Anthropogenic climate change may be partially responsible for the severity of the flood. In 2023, human activity was responsible for a whopping 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming, according to the Global Climate Change report led by the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.

a dirt-filled canal flooding into nearby buildings, as captured by an overhead view

A canal in Valencia, Spain captured by Maxar satellite imagery on Oct. 31, 2024. (Image credit: Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies)

Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels create greenhouse gases like methane or carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

These gases reduce the ability of heat to escape from our planet, which in turn is causing more extreme weather events such as flooding and hurricanes.

a waterway with a lot of dirt in it, with a bridge overhead. buildings surround the banks

A dirt-choked waterway in Valencia, Spain captured by Maxar satellite imagery on Oct. 31, 2024. (Image credit: Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies)

Roadways in Valencia are choked with mud and silt. This debris is causing "extensive traffic backups," which "are visible on many of the major roads in the area," Maxar representatives said in a statement.

"Transportation routes across the area," they added, "have been significantly impacted by the flood damage as many roads, bridges and highways remain obstructed or impassable; moreover, hundreds of cars and vehicles are scattered across the flooded areas of the city and suburbs."

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Elizabeth Howell
Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace