These are images that in this country are most reminiscent of the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley in 2021. Now people in northern Italy are experiencing something similarly dramatic. Heavy rain caused flooding, landslides and flooded streets. More than 20 rivers flooded entire regions of Italy, 41 municipalities were affected by the floods. And for a few hours it’s been raining again.
The area around Ravenna, near the Adriatic coast, was particularly hard hit. “If six months’ worth of rain falls in 36 hours (…), no soil can stand it,” Emilia-Romagna Region President Stefano Bonaccini told a local television station on Wednesday evening. According to the media, more than 20,000 people were evacuated there alone.
Mayor writes about the “end of the world”
The houses in the town of Forli, between Bologna and Rimini, also disappeared under water at times. Desperate, Mayor Gian Luca Zattini wrote on Facebook from the “end of the world” that his city was on the ground.
So far, 14 dead have been recovered from the affected area, and thousands have been rescued from their homes, some on inflatable boats. Other residents had to be taken out of their homes, which were trapped by the water masses, by helicopter.
For days, rescue workers have been working around the clock to get people to safety, especially children and the elderly. The Italian military and coast guard were called in to support the rescue work.
Foreign Office advises caution in Italy
According to Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè, the popular holiday area around Rimini got off relatively lightly. She said on Friday: “The only positive news, if there is anything positive about this tragedy, is that hotels and the coastal strip suffered less damage than the inland areas.”
Nevertheless, the Federal Foreign Office is currently warning travelers to be careful, especially in the Emilia-Romagna and Sicily regions. “Due to persistent, sometimes heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms, restrictions are to be expected throughout Italy,” writes the Foreign Office. Inland, there is still a risk of flooding and landslides, and storm surges could occur on the coast.
The region had been hit by heavy rain, flooding and landslides just two weeks ago. Two people lost their lives. Experts pointed out that such extreme weather events are increasing due to man-made climate change.
Sources: BBC, Gian Luca Zattini, Ministry of Foreign Affairwith information from the news agencies DPA and AFP