A church in Valencia is providing crucial aid and support in the wake of devastating flash floods that have swept across eastern Spain.

Over 200 lives have been lost, and many more people remain unaccounted for after unprecedented rainfall struck the region last week.

Torrential downpours triggered flash floods that swept through the region in minutes, trapping people in vehicles, homes, and businesses while thousands saw their livelihoods and communities destroyed.

Amid this widespread destruction, El Faro International Evangelical Church has stepped forward, launching a relief fund to assist the local community. Church leader Paul Godfrey shared the overwhelming reality in an interview with Premier Christian News:

“Our church building is just above one of the disaster zones, and about a third of our members are in those affected areas. We've set up a team to locate, find, and assist those members. Some are still unaccounted for,” he noted.

Godfrey described volunteers emerging from the disaster zone, coated in mud and spoke about the trauma facing those on the ground: “The smell of death is terrible, and the scenes are apocalyptic.”

The deluge brought a year’s worth of rain in a single day, overwhelming infrastructure and sending waves of water through unsuspecting towns.

In response, El Faro church has organised a relief effort, welcoming overseas teams equipped with food, supplies, and satellite phones to restore communication for those cut off by the flooding.

Godfrey highlighted their three-step plan: aiding church members and their dependents, supporting local churches to restore community services, and providing assistance to the wider public.

“This is going to be a long-term process of healing, and churches will need to be a significant part of that as we bring God’s hope and the love of Jesus into the situation,” he added.

Public frustration has been mounting over what many see as a “slow and inadequate” response from authorities. Godfrey has called on Christians to pray: “The gap between governmental response and ground needs is significant. We need prayer for wisdom, for food and shelter provisions, and that diseases like typhoid do not spread due to stagnant water and decaying livestock.”

El Faro’s relief fund details are available here.

On Monday, the city of Barcelona also experienced heavy flooding, with parts of Catalonia remaining on red alert.