Portugal and Spain are grappling with severe winter storms that have claimed lives, caused widespread blackouts, paralyzed transportation networks, and forced tourist attractions to close.
A volunteer died on Wednesday while traveling through flooded areas in Portugal during low-pressure storm "Marta," according to AFP.
Seven people have died from consecutive storms in recent days. Authorities deployed 26,500 rescue workers to minimize flood damage, but the ongoing deluge has overwhelmed response efforts.
Previous storms "Kristin" and "Leonardo" struck on January 31 and February 4, killing five and one person respectively. Landslides occurred across the country, and tens of thousands of households lost power.
The storms also disrupted elections. Three Portuguese municipalities postponed presidential runoff voting scheduled for Wednesday by one week, AFP reported.
Spain issued an orange flood warning—the second-highest alert level—for the southern Andalusia region, which suffered extensive storm damage. Northwestern regions received similar warnings.
"I have never seen storms like this in succession," said Juan Manuel Moreno, Governor of Andalusia. "Dozens of roads have been blocked and most rail services have been suspended."
Approximately 11,000 residents have evacuated, and agricultural damage is severe. The Roman Bridge in Córdoba, a major tourist attraction, was closed entirely due to safety concerns. La Liga club Sevilla FC announced postponement of its home match against Girona FC scheduled for Wednesday evening. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez convened a crisis management meeting after touring affected areas the previous day.
The storms crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco, displacing approximately 150,000 people in the northwestern region, AFP reported.