storm
Floods in parts of Italy – five dead
Rescuers are in Cesena with the rubber boat. photo
© Bernd March / dpa
Floods are paving their way, mudslides are blocking roads and fields like seascapes: In Italy, heavy rains have resulted in sometimes dramatic floods.
After heavy rainfall, the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche experienced flooding, some of which were dramatic. The area on the Adriatic coast has been hit by severe storms since Tuesday. At least five people were killed, as Italy’s Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, confirmed on Wednesday. It is therefore still looking for a missing person.
The provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini and Bologna are hardest hit – and in particular the cities of Faenza, Cesena and Forlì, according to the Italian fire brigade. The fire brigade has been on more than 600 missions since Tuesday morning and was there with around 400 firefighters. They rescued people who were trapped in their houses by the water, or motorists stranded in the water masses. In the town of Cesena, where the Savio River burst its banks, emergency services rescued dozens of people stranded on the roofs of their homes.
Pictures and videos from the fire brigade show how entire streets are under water, mudslides block roads and fields resemble seascapes because of the water masses. According to civil protection, 14 rivers have burst their banks in Emilia-Romagna alone.
Tweet Cesena
A woman in Faenza reported how quickly the masses of water made their way – within ten minutes, according to her, the water rose almost to the first floor of her house. “A neighbor of mine was alone in the house with four small children, she called for help and nobody came. We stayed with them all night, in their pajamas. The children cried. A disaster,” she is quoted by Ansa as saying.
Also used with helicopters
The emergency services also brought some people to safety with helicopters. There were also power outages in several parts of the city of Faenza, and there were also problems with the telephone connections. In addition, around 40 mountain rescuers who specialize in rescues in flooded areas are on duty to help people. The Italian Coast Guard is also involved.
According to Civil Protection Minister Musumeci, a total of 24 communities in Emilia-Romagna were evacuated. Around 5000 people are affected. “But there could be more. We are ready to intervene as a government,” he said on Italian radio on Wednesday morning. The government has already approved 10 million euros for the first expenses and emergencies following the floods. Civil protection continued to call on people to be very careful in the coming hours. According to civil protection, the weather could improve in the afternoon.
Meloni: “full solidarity”
In view of the situation on site, 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. “The government is there – on the side of the affected population and the institutions of the region,” she said.
Meanwhile, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called for the Imola Formula 1 race in the area to be canceled due to the flooding. As infrastructure and transport minister, he had already spoken to the authorities and organizers of the Grand Prix planned for this weekend, it said on Wednesday. The paddock at the race track had already been cleared on Tuesday because a nearby river threatened to overflow its banks.