Death by water, burial by mud. Images of Spain’s floods of the century

[Pelican Press 0]

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****** by water, burial by mud. Images of Spain’s floods of the century

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Twelve days have passed since

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carved a muddy scar through eastern Spain, ******** over 200 people and soiling the homes of thousands more.

Apocalyptic scenes documented by The Associated Press photographers speak to the terrifying power of nature unleashed in all its fury.

It was as if a tsunami, instead of having been generated in the ocean’s depths and sent smashing into the shore, had been poured down by some vengeful sky **** and

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and ordinary neighborhoods.

The wild newborn river caught thousands unaware, tossed cars around like toys and tore down buildings nearest the normally dry canal banks, which themselves were left widened with ragged edges.

Survivors say that 15 minutes was all it took for a

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to go from empty to overflowing. Abutting homes channeled the rushing water to expand its shockwave. Regional authorities

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in time, and in some places there wasn’t even rain to put people on guard, magnifying the chaos.

In the aftermath, streets look like they have been blasted back to the Medieval *******, covered by layers of mud that obscured any glimpse of pavement or cobblestone.

Everything on the ground floor was turned into junk in a matter of minutes when the water burst into homes. Furniture, clothes, toys, photos, heirlooms … nothing was spared.

The feeling of abandonment of many residents turned into rage,

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with clumps of mud when they visited the devastated area.

Every foot caked in mire, in the sticky brown filth that after days keeps oozing out of homes and ruined stores no matter how much is shoveled and swept away.

The “thup, thup, thup” throbs in the air from the military helicopters flying over the area that has been labeled as “ground zero” of the Oct. 29 floods.

The search goes on now for the

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. Searchers drive poles into mud banks hoping to find and recover the bodies of the *****.

But human generosity is also found amid the despair.

While thousands of troops and police reinforcements remove the countless wrecked cars, it’s the people themselves, the residents, neighbors and volunteers who stream in on foot to help.

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by diving into the muck, and with each scoop and toss, inch towards a distant renewal.

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#****** #water #burial #mud #Images #Spains #floods #century

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