In Tordera in the county of Maresme a man died on the morning of 4 October 2026 when a wall collapsed at the site of the Camping Internacional Costa Brava . According to local authorities and emergency services, the 75-year-old was clearing up in a bungalow area when the wall gave way. The emergency services, who had been alerted, fire brigade confirmed the death at the scene. The victim’s identity was not initially made public; the municipality provided support to the family.
The incident occurred amid severe thunderstorms and heavy rain that hit large parts of the Catalan coast and inland areas. The Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya reported exceptionally high rainfall totals at several stations, with some setting new records. Civil Protection Protecció Civil repeatedly activated ES-Alertwarnings for particularly vulnerable areas, including Maresme and parts of Barcelona and Girona provinces. Roads were closed, with flooding, landslides and numerous fire service call-outs reported.
The Generalitat urged the public to avoid areas at risk of flooding, travel only if absolutely necessary and follow the instructions of emergency services. Firefighters and municipal services secured overloaded drains, checked watercourses and inspected underpasses. There were brief power cuts in several towns; some schools and public facilities announced precautionary restrictions. People were warned of sudden rises in water levels near smaller watercourses.
Local media reported exceptionally high rainfall in some places over a short period. Combined with saturated ground and areas with poor drainage, this increased the local risk of flooding. Experts from the regional weather service noted that conditions can vary greatly over short distances in such situations: while drains and terrain may cope with the water in one town, underpasses in a neighbouring town can fill within minutes.
The authorities said they would investigate the circumstances of the wall collapse in Tordera. This will include structural issues, any pre-existing damage and the specific impact of the rainfall. No findings are available yet. The warnings initially remained in force for the coming hours; Protecció Civil intends to inform the public through further ES-Alert messages and situation updates if the areas of greatest risk shift or the danger subsides.
According to current information, this is the first confirmed fatality in this storm system in Catalonia. The authorities had not confirmed any further information about missing people or additional victims by the editorial deadline.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).