storm
Floods in parts of Italy – three 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. Three people were killed, the Adnkronos news agency and other Italian media reported on Wednesday. One man stayed on the ground floor of his house during the flood and drowned. There are also reports of missing people.
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 therefore been on 600 missions since Tuesday morning and was there with 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.
Fire brigade and mountain rescuers in continuous operation
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.
The emergency services were deployed with helicopters, among other things – some people were able to be brought to safety in this way. There were also power outages in several parts of the city of Faenza, and there were also problems with the telephone connections. In the affected areas, Italian mountain rescue teams are also on site to help. Around 40 mountain rescuers specializing in rescues in flooded areas are on duty to help people.
A woman in Faenza reported how quickly the masses of water smoothed 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.
Government approves aid in the millions
According to Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci, around 5,000 people in the areas are being evacuated. “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 called on people to be very careful in the coming hours. People who were not evacuated should, for example, seek safety on the higher floors of buildings.
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.