The worst floods in memory hit Spain 'like a tsunami'

In the town of Algemesi they say the flooding happened without warning.

The water flows down the street, bringing with it thick, smelly mud that covers every surface in sight.

As we slosh through the slippery mud puddle, we meet Bernardo trying to sweep the mud from his house.

No matter how often he scrubs and cleans, the floors remain covered in dirt.

“The disaster is enormous, I have never seen anything like it in my entire life,” he says.

He estimates that some houses were filled with almost two meters of water.

Many are now without power after the flood hit the electricity supply.

Residents spend a large part of the day repairing the damage. But as we walk through the city, snapshots are still visible.

Outside a house are two dining room chairs.

Their once beautiful velvet cushions are now soaked and discolored.

Further on, huge pumps spout water from people’s basements.

On another street, cars stand in a chaotic group, stranded where the water has left them.

Bernardo shows us a video of the immediate aftermath.

Cars stand on their bonnets on the road as stunned locals take in the scene.

He estimates that about half of the city’s vehicles are damaged.

And the misery does not only apply to Algemesi; it is a pain that is repeated in communities in the south-east of Spain.