The storm leaves two dead and collapses the R1 and R11 in Catalonia

The weekend storm leaves two dead in Tordera and Montornès del Vallès, one missing in Pineda de Mar, and 193 litres per square metre in Raval in six hours. The R1 and R11 remain out of service this Monday.

The storm that battered the Catalan coast and pre-coast during the weekend of 3 and 4 October has resulted in a provisional toll of two fatalities, one missing person, and material damage to infrastructure and educational facilities. The fatalities were recorded in Tordera, in Maresme, and in Montornès del Vallès, in Vallès Oriental. The disappearance occurred in Pineda de Mar, where the stream rose at a speed that surprised emergency teams.

The Bombers de la Generalitat suspended the search for the person swept away by the water in the stream of Pineda de Mar on Sunday afternoon. The operation will resume on Monday if the conditions of the watercourse allow it. The firefighters confirmed that there is no formal missing person report, a detail that forced a reorganisation of the operation, according to information obtained by moncloa.com.

The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, chaired a meeting of the CECAT on Sunday to monitor the situation in various regions. The meeting resulted in the decision to lift the mobility restrictions that were still in place in Alt and Baix Empordà at 21:00 hours. Illa also visited Montornès del Vallès, Granollers, and la Roca del Vallès to assess the extent of the damage on the ground.

A storm is not measured only by what it drops, but by what still does not function the day after.

The rainfall record is now part of the historical series: 193 litres per square metre in Raval in just six hours, a figure that Meteocat ranks among the highest values in its series. This data explains the magnitude of an episode that, according to emergency teams, overflowed watercourses before any warnings were issued.

In Rodalies, the situation remains unresolved. The northern section of the R1 and R11 will not be able to resume service early on Monday, according to the Ministry of Transport. There will also be disruptions on the R2 Nord and R4 Nord, which will operate with some sections on single track due to landslides recorded during the downpour. One of the key maintenance points is the tunnel at Plaça Catalunya, where teams are working with pumps to remove the accumulated water.

Monday will not be a normal day in the Catalan educational network. Five schools will not be able to open due to the damage caused by the rains, while three others will work from early on to try to operate as normally as possible, according to the Educació department. The schools are located across Maresme, Barcelonès, Vallès Oriental, and Vallès Occidental.

The rest of the map shows a more extensive impact than it seems. Another 87 schools have reported incidents, although they can maintain activity, and in 24 of those cases, changes to the usual service will be necessary. Educació warns that the balance is still provisional and does not rule out further disruptions in the coming hours.

What happened this weekend reproduces a pattern that has already occurred in episodes from September 2024 and October 2023: concentrated rainfall in very few hours, overflowing watercourses before any warning arrives, and a Rodalies network that proves to be the most fragile part of the system. The difference this time is the magnitude of the Raval record.

The storm has already passed its most violent phase. The effects, however, have not. The forecast points to a week of gradual reactivation, with a focus on the R1 and R11, the five closed schools, and the search in Pineda de Mar, which will resume on Monday if the conditions of the watercourse allow it. Checking the status of the lines on the Rodalies de Catalunya website remains the first step for any traveller before leaving home.