By Siobhan RobbinsEurope correspondent

In the town of Algemesi, about 40 km south of Valencia, floods hit without warning.

Barrels of water flow down the street, bringing with them thick, stinking mud that covers every visible surface.

As we move through the slippery mud, we encounter Bernardo who is trying to sweep it out of his house.

Even though he scrubs and cleans, the floors remain covered in grime.

“The disaster is enormous, I have never seen anything like it in my entire life,” he said.

He estimates that some houses were filled with nearly two meters of water.

Some people in the flood zone said the force of the water was “like a tsunami,” causing cars in the street to tip over each other.

Many are now without power after flooding hit the power system.

For much of the day, residents tried to repair the damage. But as we travel through the city, snapshots are still visible.

Two dining chairs sit outside a house.

Their once elegant velvet cushions are now soggy and discolored.

Further away, huge pumps project water from the inhabitants’ cellars.

On another street, cars are gathered in a chaotic group, stuck where the water left them.

Bernardo shows us a video of the immediate consequences.

Cars stand on their hoods on the road while stunned locals admire the scene.

He estimates that about half of the city’s vehicles were damaged.

And the misery is not limited to Algemesi: it is a pain that is repeated in the communities of southeastern Spain.