Storm Leonardo floods Spain and Portugal as rivers overflow, towns evacuate, and emergency measures expand

Days of rain across the Iberian Peninsula

Storm Leonardo settled over the Iberian Peninsula and did not move quickly. Rain returned in rounds. Water ran through streets. Hillsides softened. The storm pressed on communities in both Spain and Portugal, day after day.

It was the seventh storm to strike the region this year. Many areas were already saturated. Rivers had little room left. When the rain fell again, it spilled over banks and into towns.

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Portugal, Lisbon and rivers under pressure

In Portugal, a man in his sixties died after his car was swept away near a dam in the municipality of Serpa, in the Alentejo region. Civil protection authorities confirmed the death. The current took the vehicle as floodwater crossed the road.

In Alcacer do Sal, about 90 kilometers south of Lisbon, Portugal, the Sado River burst its banks. Brown water pushed into the town center. Streets filled fast. In some areas, water reached two meters. Rescue teams moved door to door. In the same municipality, two people were killed and 93 people were rescued along the Sado.

Along the Tagus basin, flood alerts rose to the highest level in the Santarem region. Residents living near the river were evacuated. Civil protection leaders warned that the flood threat along the Tagus was the most serious in decades.

The Portuguese government extended the state of emergency across mainland Portugal until 15 February. Officials also declared a state of contingency in high risk flood zones to keep civil protection, firefighters, armed forces, security forces, health teams, and local authorities fully deployed.

Transport cut, towns isolated

Rain and runoff triggered hundreds of incidents overnight. Civil protection recorded nearly 400 weather related incidents, mostly flooding, fallen trees, and landslides around the Lisbon metropolitan area and the western region.

In Camarate, in the municipality of Loures, part of a road collapsed in the Sao Joao neighborhood. Fire crews secured the site. Ferry services between Trafaria, Porto Brandao, and Belem were suspended after the earlier shutdown of the Cacilhas to Cais do Sodre river route.

Flooding along the Tagus forced the closure of the North railway line between Castanheira and Alverca. National Road EN10 was closed near Vila Franca de Xira. In Vila Nova de Gaia, a landslide blocked National Road EN222 near the bridge over the Inha River.

Movement slowed. Some towns felt cut off.

Andalusia soaks under record rain

In southern Spain, Storm Leonardo poured water into valleys and over ridges. Parts of Andalusia recorded more than 40 centimeters of rain in a single day. Streams turned into torrents. Roads became channels.

In the mountain village of Grazalema, officials said that 16 hours of rain matched what the Madrid region would normally receive in an entire year. The rain kept falling. The slopes slid. Crews worked through the night.

Nearly 7,000 people were evacuated across Andalusia. Entire neighborhoods emptied as water crept toward doorsteps. More than 130 roads were closed. Rail lines were halted. Schools shut their doors.

Two reservoirs near the flooded areas were prepared for controlled drainage. Authorities said 14 rivers and 10 dams were at extreme risk of overflowing.

A child swept into a river in southern Spain

In Malaga province, a girl was swept into the Turvilla River while trying to save her dog. The current was strong. The water was fast. Rescue teams searched the river through the night.

“We found the dog, but not her," said fire service commander Manuel Marmolejo.

The river kept moving. The search moved with it.

Warnings continue as another front approaches

Weather alerts covered most of Spain as the storm pressed on. Andalusia and Extremadura faced repeated flooding. In Castilla La Mancha, water filled basements along the Tagus.

Spain national weather agency AEMET later lifted the highest alert for the south after the worst rain eased. Forecasters warned that another front, named Marta, was expected to reach the peninsula in the coming days. More rain was forecast for the weekend, with another weather system expected early next week.

Emergency crews stretched across the region

In Portugal, emergency services reported more than 11,000 deployments during the storm period. Rail services were suspended in parts of the north and center of the country. In Lisbon, parks and tunnels closed. River transport links were halted.

Storm Leonardo also pushed heavy rain into Morocco. At least three people died there and 140,000 people were evacuated as the storm spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula.