Bilbao recorded around 200 call-outs after torrential rain on Saturday evening. According to the Ayuntamiento de Bilbao incidents were concentrated between 7pm and 9pm, when an exceptional amount of rain fell in a short time. The worst affected area was Casco Viejo, where water in narrow streets reached knee height at times, flooding numerous shops, entrances and garages. There were also power cuts at the Teatro Arriaga .
fire brigade and Policía Municipal were working around the clock, supported by vehicles from the municipal water and cleaning service, which remained on standby overnight. On Sunday, the city mobilised additional teams to clean up and remove damaged furniture and goods that residents and traders had put out on the streets.
City officials said that inspections of the manholes had found the Arquetas to be in good condition, but that the network had “come under strain”. In other words, considerably more rainwater entered the system than the drainage network could handle in the short term. To prevent backflow and further flooding in the city centre, it was exceptionally decided to divert water in a controlled manner into the Ría . The measure was described as exceptional and attributed to the acute overload caused by the intensity of the rainfall.
The city’s figures add to the interim tally from the Centro de Emergencias de Euskadi. There, SOS Deiak recorded 150 weather-related incidents in the province of Bizkaiaby 8.30pm, including 137 in Bilbao. As reporting continued, the total rose to around 200 incidents handled by the city. Temporary traffic disruption was also reported, alongside localised flooding.
Initial assessments suggest that this was a highly localised and intense weather event. No specific damage estimates are available yet; the city intends to assess the impact in the coming days and review any necessary changes to drainage infrastructure. Statements about structural deficiencies remain provisional until these reviews are complete. What is clear is that rainfall exceeded the network’s short-term capacity, necessitating the unusual diversion into the Ría.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).