A family had just started their semester break at their villa in Spain when the storm hit. But it didn’t stop, and on Wednesday more than a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours, making it “like a tsunami coming down the mountain” and heading towards their home.

Diana Whitwell, 60, from Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire, had just picked up her daughters and grandchildren from Valencia airport on Tuesday when an electrical storm began, followed by rain, flooding the house.

More than 200 people lost their lives in the flood that affected the southeast of the country.

The Whitwell family are currently cleaning and trying to dry out their holiday home but Mrs Whitwell, who has seen the death toll and devastation first hand, said: “Yes, we are a bit stranded but at least we are safe – and our family is together.”

Spain’s civil protection agency, which is overseen by the regional government, issued an emergency alert to the phones of people in the city of Valencia and surrounding areas after 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Tuesday. it is increasing in many regions and, in some cases, is already wreaking havoc.

The Whitwell family has owned their villa, a detached Spanish hillside finca about 22 km (14 mi) from Valencia, for 19 years.

“We’re used to storms; they usually last about 20 minutes,” said Ms Whitwell, who works as a healthcare assistant at Peterborough City Hospital.

But Tuesday night’s rain was followed by a seven-hour electrical storm.

“The grandchildren, aged between 8 and 14, were watching from the window. They were fascinated.

“And then the sky opened up.

“It started raining like you’ve never seen before, out of nowhere, like a tsunami coming down the mountain.”

As the water rose on the terrace, the family first tried to sweep the water down the slope, but then it began to penetrate the rooms at the back.

“We tried to sweep it, but it didn’t help,” he said.

When the power went out, they put the children on the top bunk beds.

“We had four grandchildren who were hysterical – they were terrified in the pitch black – we didn’t have any candles because we didn’t expect anything like this,” Ms Whitwell said.

“It was terrible.”

They had no electricity, no phone signal, and no running water.

The family stayed in the house because it was ankle-deep in water.

“We couldn’t go out because most of the roads were collapsed,” Ms Whitwell said.

On Thursday, they decided to try going to a store for supplies, and when they managed to get there, the shelves were almost empty.

“We managed to get three pizzas between the eight of us; there was no bread, no water, no milk; almost nothing.

“Then we were stranded on the highway for over five hours and were only three kilometers from home.”

Speaking to the BBC on Friday, Ms Whitwell said there was now “intermittent power and some phone signal” but that many half-cooked foods, such as chicken, had to be thrown away when there was no power.

“Luckily, my husband and I went there and bought canned food and cereal for the kids; that’s what they’re surviving on right now.”

That morning, she said, she and her daughters walked down the opposite mountain, across a collapsed road, to get water from a spring.

“We knew it was there and of course it was overflowing; we brought three large bottles of water; that was the only way to get water.”

Ms Whitwell said their beloved Spanish home was still dry but the damage was limited.

“I’m a very positive person and I try to make something good out of everything negative.”

He said they might “try some karaoke on the iPad tonight” if the Wi-Fi signal holds up.

“The really sad thing is that the motorway is still not moving; hundreds of cars are stranded and emergency services are trying to get to Valencia. They are physically unable to get through due to landslides on the A3. It is the road from Valencia to Madrid.”

The family was hoping some roads would be open by Monday when the children need to go back to school, but the Whitwells will remain here.