Heavy Rain Floods Costa Daurada in Spain
Heavy rainfall has caused serious flooding on the Costa Daurada, a coastal region in Tarragona, Catalonia. Streets and low areas were covered with water after the storm.
Several people were injured because of the floods. Among them is a young girl, who is reported to be in critical condition. She is receiving medical care.
The Catalan government, known as the Govern, had issued weather forecasts and warnings before the rain arrived. However, some residents and officials have criticised the response, saying the warnings did not match the seriousness of the storm.
In reply, the Govern has defended its forecasts, saying they were accurate and given with enough time. Officials say they followed proper procedures based on the information they had.
The Ebro region, further inland, has also been placed under a weather alert because of the heavy rain. Local authorities are asking people to stay careful, as more rain could fall in the coming hours.
This event is part of a wider pattern of torrential rain affecting parts of Catalonia. Emergency teams are working to help people and clean up the damage caused by the flooding.
Vocabulary10 words
- rainfall
- the amount of rain that falls
- critical condition
- when a person is very sick or badly hurt
- Catalan government
- the government that leads the Catalonia region
- forecasts
- predictions about future weather
- alert
- an official warning about danger
- torrential
- extremely heavy and fast-falling
- flooding
- when water covers land that is usually dry
- residents
- people who live in a place
- emergency teams
- groups of workers who help in dangerous situations
- procedures
- official ways of doing something
Quiz
Answer key
1. Heavy rainfall 2. As accurate and given in time 3. The Ebro region
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Heavy _____ has caused serious flooding on the Costa Daurada, a coastal region in Tarragona, Catalonia. Streets and low areas were covered with water after the storm.
Several people were injured because of the floods. Among them is a young girl, who is reported to be in _____. She is receiving medical care.
The _____, known as the Govern, had issued weather forecasts and warnings before the rain arrived. However, some residents and officials have criticised the response, saying the warnings did not match the seriousness of the storm.
In reply, the Govern has defended its _____, saying they were accurate and given with enough time. Officials say they followed proper procedures based on the information they had.
The Ebro region, further inland, has also been placed under a weather _____ because of the heavy rain. Local authorities are asking people to stay careful, as more rain could fall in the coming hours.
This event is part of a wider pattern of _____ rain affecting parts of Catalonia. Emergency teams are working to help people and clean up the damage caused by the flooding.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think people sometimes criticise government weather warnings during a storm?
- What kinds of damage can heavy flooding cause in coastal areas?
- How can local authorities better protect people during sudden storms?
- Have you ever experienced a flood or severe storm? What happened?