Underground garages, storerooms (trasteros) and ground floors in floods

Key rules

• Garage after rain starts: Once rain has started, never go down to a garage, basement or storeroom to fetch a car or belongings.
• Moving the car: Move your car away from ramblas and low-lying or underground parking before the warning takes effect.
• Escape: If water rises, leave on foot by the stairs, never by the lift or by driving up the ramp.
• Emergency: Call 112 if anyone is trapped or in danger, and give your exact location.

Once rain has started, do not go down

Do not go down to a garage, basement or storeroom to fetch a car or belongings once rain has started. Water can fill an underground garage within minutes, and people have died going back for a car. A car can be replaced. You cannot.

Move the car early, not late

The safe time to act is before the storm warning takes effect, while the move is still easy.

• Move your car away from ramblas (dry riverbeds that fill fast), riverbeds, ravines and low-lying or underground parking.
• Do not leave it parked in a flood-prone channel.
• Move belongings upward from a storeroom (trastero) or ground floor beforehand, only if you can do it safely.

Timing depends on local warnings. Follow the instructions from your town hall and 112, the emergency number.

If water starts rising in a garage

Leave at once, on foot, by the stairs or the pedestrian exit. Leave the car and your belongings behind. Do not take the lift, because the power can fail and trap you. Do not try to drive up the ramp against the incoming water.

Once you are out, go to an upper floor or high ground outside. Call 112 if anyone is trapped or in danger. If the exit is blocked, climb to the highest point you can reach and call 112 with your exact location. Whatever happens, do not go back down.

If you live on the ground floor

When a flood warning is issued, do not stay in basements, garages, ground floors or storerooms. They can flood very quickly and trap people. Move up to a higher level of the building.

The decision, checklist and questions below cover these steps in more detail.

Choosing between options

Should you move your car, or leave it where it is?

• Move the car now: The storm warning has not yet taken effect and rain has not started, so you can still reach it safely.

• Leave the car where it is: Heavy rain has already started. Do not go down to an underground garage or into a flood-prone channel, because the car can be replaced and a life cannot.

If it is still safe and rain has not started, move the car early. Once heavy rain has started, leave it.

Checklist

• Walk away from the ramp instead of driving up it against the incoming water.

• Call 112 if anyone is trapped or in danger, giving your exact location.

What to watch out for

• The lift can trap you: If the power fails while the lift is in use, you can be stuck inside as water rises. Use the stairs or pedestrian exit, never the lift.

• Ground floors and storerooms (trasteros) flood very quickly: Ground floors, basements and trasteros can flood fast and trap people, so staying in them during a flood warning is dangerous.

What if a flood catches you in a car or underground garage?

Get out of the car or garage straight away, on foot, and go up. Do not wait to see how high the water gets. The time you have to escape is short, and it gets shorter as the water rises.

If you are in a car

1. Leave the car at once, while the water is still low. Water pressure soon makes doors and windows hard to open.
2. Climb to higher ground. Do not stay inside the car, even if it feels safe.
3. Do not try to drive through the water. Just 30 cm of moving water can drag a person and 50 cm can float a car.
4. If the car is already floating or filling, and the doors will not open, get out through a window. Then call 112.

If you are in an underground garage

2. Do not use the lift. If the power fails, you will be trapped.
3. Do not drive up the ramp. The incoming water makes it more dangerous than walking out.

Once you are out, do not go back down for any reason, even for keys, a phone or a pet. Call 112 and wait for help.

Avoid the situation

• When an orange or red rain warning is active, avoid making journeys at all.
• Do not drive or park on or near flooded roads, ramblas, underpasses or low-lying roads during a warning.

Frequently asked questions

When should I move my car away from a garage or rambla?

Move your car before the storm warning takes effect, while it is still safe to do so. Take it away from ramblas, riverbeds, ravines, low-lying ground and underground parking. Follow your town hall and 112 instructions for timing.

Can I drive out of a garage if the water is already rising?

No, do not drive up the ramp against the incoming water. Leave the car and walk out by the stairs or pedestrian exit.

Where should I go if I live on the ground floor?

Go up to a higher level of the building when a flood warning is issued. If you can do it safely beforehand, move items upward, but do not go to a storeroom to fetch things once rain has started.