The central Italian region of Tuscany has again been hit by heavy storms. Many people had to flee their homes. Due to the flooding, the government in Rome has declared a state of emergency to provide the first financial aid.
For the fourth day in a row, heavy rainfall was reported in the provinces of Massa Carrara, Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia, Firenze (Florence), Livorno and Arezzo. Seven people died in the heavy storms on Friday, including several seniors.
People have to leave their homes
Because two rivers threatened to overflow their banks, 1,200 people in the municipalities of Montemurlo, Montale and Prato had to leave their homes, the president of the Tuscany region, Eugenio Giani, announced on social networks on Saturday evening. Several neighborhoods in the city of Prato, north of Florence, were without water and residents had to be supplied with water by truck.
In Tuscany, so much rain has not fallen in such a short time in fifty years, regional president Giani explains. It hasn’t rained this much since 1966. Hundreds of rescue unit members and volunteers were deployed to clear mud and debris from the streets of affected communities. Water pumps were in constant use.
There were also problems in other Italian regions due to the storms. The level of the Po continued to rise, flooding hundreds of hectares of fields around the city of Mantua. The situation along Italy’s longest river is constantly monitored by the authorities.
Heavy rainfall also in other regions
The northern Italian region of Veneto was also hit hard by the storms, as were Emilia Romagna and Lombardy. Devastating storms had already struck Emilia Romagna in May, killing 15 people and causing billions of dollars in damage. Heavy rain also fell in the capital Rome on Sunday.
The bad weather front is expected to continue in the coming days. On Sunday, the municipality of Venice activated the MOSE dam system for the second time in a week to protect the city center from flooding. The temperature also dropped in Sicily. Snow fell on the volcano Etna.
State of emergency declared
The government in Rome declared a state of emergency on Friday because of the storms. As a result, five million euros were released for first aid measures, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said. She expressed her condolences to the population affected by the storms.
Source: Krone
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