Spanish authorities report that at least 51 people died as a result of the devastation…

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – At least 51 people died in Spain’s eastern Valencia region after flash floods swept away cars, turned rural streets into rivers and damaged railways and highways in the worst natural disaster to recently hit the European nation.

Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed the death toll on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s storms caused flooding across a large area of ​​southern and eastern Spain. Floods of mud-colored water threw vehicles onto the streets at alarming speeds. Pieces of wood swirled with household items. Police and emergency services used helicopters to get people out of their homes and cars.

Authorities reported several people missing late Tuesday evening, but the next morning came the shocking news that dozens of bodies had been found.

More than 1,000 soldiers from Spanish crisis response units were sent to the devastated areas.

“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. He said there were still some people missing in his town.

“We were trapped like rats. There were cars and garbage containers on the streets. The water level rose to three meters,” he added.

Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years, but this is nothing compared to the destruction that has occurred over the last two days.

The death toll could easily rise as other regions have not yet reported casualties and searches continue in difficult-to-access areas. Mayor Sergio Marín Sánchez said six people were missing in the village of Letur in the neighboring Castilla-La Mancha region.

A high-speed train with almost 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although railway authorities say no one was injured. The high-speed rail link between Valencia and Madrid has been interrupted, as have several suburban lines.

Valencia region president Carlos Mazón urged people to stay at home so as not to complicate rescue operations, as traveling on roads is already difficult due to fallen trees and wrecked vehicles.

“The area is destroyed, all the cars are lying on top of each other, it’s literally smashed,” Christian Viena, a bar owner in the Valencian village of Barrio de la Torre, said by phone. “Everything is a total wreck, everything needs to be thrown away. The mud is almost a foot deep.”

Spain’s central government has established a crisis committee to help coordinate rescue operations.

The rain in Valencia stopped late Wednesday morning. But more storms were forecast through Thursday, according to Spain’s national weather service.

Spain is still recovering from the severe drought that hit it earlier this year. Scientists say extreme weather is becoming more common possibly linked to climate change.

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Associated Press journalist Teresa Medrano in Madrid contributed to this report.