Floods sweep cars into sea, damage homes in northeast Spain

Many Spaniards are counting their losses and damage to homes and businesses caused by flooding produced by intense rain that continued falling over large areas of the country

ALCANAR, Spain -- Many Spaniards on Thursday counted their losses and damage to homes and businesses caused by flooding produced by intense rain that continued falling over large areas of the country. The flash flooding, dangerous in some eastern parts of Spain since Wednesday, didn't lead to any direct casualties. But two young German women drowned overnight from Wednesday to Thursday when they went swimming in the sea on the tourist-magnet island of Mallorca. The victims were 23 and 25. They were part of a larger group of seven people, all German nationals, who were swimming past 2 a.m. in the morning, National Police and the island's emergency services said. Four women and a man were able to come out of the water. In Spain's northeastern town of Alcanar, one of the worst-hit areas by the sudden downpour, residents said Thursday that they were fortunate that no lives were lost when over 250 liters per square meter (45 gallons per square yard) were dumped on the town between 12 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday.