According to meteorologists, the weather could remain unstable for another ten days. Since the beginning of the week, 21 of the 23 rivers in Emilia-Romagna have burst their banks. 37 municipalities were affected by the floods.
The authorities also registered 250 landslides, 150 of them with serious consequences. The emergency services were used, among other things, with helicopters to rescue people. Mountain rescuers and coastguards also took part. Within a few hours, as much precipitation had fallen in the affected areas as usual in months.
20 kilometers swept away by masses of water
The provinces of Ravenna, Forli-Cesena, Rimini and Bologna are hardest hit by the storms – and in particular the cities of Faenza, Cesena and Forli, according to civil protection. An incident north of Cesena shows how dramatic the situation is: two people were swept away 20 kilometers by the water masses there, reported “La Repubblica”, they could only be recovered dead.
The fire brigade has been deployed to hundreds of operations since Tuesday, rescuing people trapped in their homes by the water and motorists stranded in the water masses.
Italy: Several dead after violent storms
In northern Italy, entire areas are under water after heavy rains. Large parts of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna are affected. 13,000 people had to be brought to safety. Nine people have already died.
24 communities evacuated
According to Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci, a total of 24 communities in Emilia-Romagna were evacuated – as of the afternoon, 13,000 people were affected, according to Italian media reports. “We are ready to intervene as a government,” said the minister. The government has already approved ten million euros for the first expenses and emergencies resulting from the floods.
Regional President Stefano Bonaccini spoke of “incredible numbers and a large number of evacuees”. The civil defense reported about 50,000 people without electricity and 100,000 people without a mobile phone network. Regional rail traffic in Emilia-Romagna has been completely discontinued. Countless roads have been flooded, many of them badly damaged.
In view of the situation, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her “full solidarity” with the people in the affected regions. “The government is closely following the development of events and stands ready to take the necessary relief measures,” she wrote on Twitter.
Emergency room cleared in hospital
Forli is partially submerged after the Montone River burst its banks. Parts of the city of Senigallia were flooded by the Misa River. The emergency room at the local hospital has been evacuated. There were also power outages in several parts of the city of Faenza, and there were also problems with the telephone connections. Significant problems also arose in the city of Bologna. The municipality called on the citizens to only take the car in urgent cases.
In Pesaro, the fire brigade had to be deployed repeatedly because of flooded streets, and parts of the A14 motorway were closed. The rain also paralyzed the Adriatic city of Riccione. Many vehicles were blocked by masses of water in the underpasses. The rail connections between Forli, Rimini and Ravenna came to a standstill. As a precautionary measure against the high waves, the municipalities of Ravenna and Cervia issued a ban on access to the beaches.
Other regions were also affected. In Trieste, the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, wind gusts of 120 km/h were reported. Flooding in Venice is expected. Tuscany was also hit by severe storms. The ferry connections between the port city of Piombino and Rio Marina on the island of Elba have been interrupted due to the strong winds.
Formula 1 Grand Prix cancelled
Not only schools were closed on Wednesday. The Formula 1 Grand Prix planned for Sunday in Imola was also canceled on Wednesday afternoon. The storms in the region do not allow regulated, safe racing in the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the organizers said – more on this in sport.ORF.at.
It is not safe to hold the Grand Prix under the circumstances. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini had advocated this step immediately before the cancellation. The day before, the paddock had been cleared for safety reasons. The cancellation of the Formula 1 European opener planned for the weekend had already become apparent. The Santerno river, which is close to the racetrack, threatens to burst its banks.
