Five people have died in the floods so far, Italian media reported on Wednesday. The fatalities are four men and one woman. The provinces of Ravenna, Forli-Cesena, Rimini and Bologna are most affected – and there in particular the cities of Faenza, Cesena and Forli, as the Italian civil defense announced.
The fire brigade has been on hundreds of missions since Tuesday, rescuing people trapped in their homes by the water and motorists stranded in the water masses. According to civil protection, 14 rivers have burst their banks in Emilia-Romagna alone. The emergency services were used, among other things, with helicopters to rescue people. Mountain rescuers and the coast guard also participated.
Dead by heavy storms in Italy
In Italy, heavy rains are causing flooding in areas on the Adriatic coast. In the affected regions, emergency services brought thousands of people to safety. Several people died.
Thousands brought to safety
According to Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci, a total of 24 municipalities in Emilia-Romagna were evacuated. Around 5,000 people are affected. “But there could be more. We are ready to intervene as a government,” he said on Italian radio on Wednesday. The government has already approved ten million euros for the first expenses and emergencies resulting from the floods.
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.
problems in traffic
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 was 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 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.
schools closed
Civil protection called on people to be very careful in the coming hours. For example, people should stay on higher floors of buildings, avoid unnecessary trips and work from home. Many mayors, including those of the cities of Bologna, Faenza, Ravenna and Forli, decided to keep schools closed on Wednesday as further storms were expected.
Wind gusts of 120 km/h were reported in Trieste, the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. 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.
hurricane expected
Within a few hours, as much precipitation had fallen in the affected areas as usual in months. Meteorologists warned of another ten days of unsettled weather. On Thursday, a hurricane from North Africa will hit the central Adriatic and bring severe storms again.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini therefore called for the cancellation of the Formula 1 race planned for the weekend in Imola. These days, all forces should be used to fight the storms and flooding, said Salvini from the right-wing populist Lega. In addition, it should be avoided that there is an overload in the affected areas due to the many visitors and cars. The paddock at the race track had already been cleared on Tuesday for safety reasons.
