The beaches of Jesolo, Bibione and Lignano, often referred to as the home beaches of the Austrians, did not necessarily show their best side over the weekend. A huge storm surge not only caused anxious hours in northern Italy – it even ripped some beaches along with it.
The cold north wind Bora, which ruined the long weekend for many holidaymakers, was responsible for the unpredictable weather on Saturday. The storm surge pushed against the shore all day, ripping umbrellas and even lifeguard towers into the sea.
“More than a kilometer of coast disappeared”
In Bibione, the bodies of water even caused a step into the sea about a meter high. “More than a kilometer of coastline has disappeared into the sea. Two rows of umbrellas have slid down. A first conservative estimate is that 30,000 cubic meters of sand will be lost,” said Gianfranco Prataviera, president of the beach operator of Bibione Spaggia.
Also in Lignano, in both Sabbiadoro and Pineta, huge amounts of sand were washed into the sea. The beach operating company spoke of a step that was up to 30 centimeters high.
“Have no beach to offer”
“This is an emergency for us. Tourists are arriving en masse and we have no beach to offer,” Jesolo beach manager Alessandro Iguadala told the Italian daily Il Gazzettino. The fact that the Bora hits so hard is a novelty – the beach now needs constant repair.
The storms didn’t just hit the coastal areas – there were also severe thunderstorms in Piedmont:
Sand reserves are now being tapped
“There is a lack of environmental studies, concepts and infrastructure. We can’t waste any more time,” Iguadala said. Jesolo Mayor Valerio Zoggia spoke of thousands of cubic yards of lost sand: “All this is now being brought back from the community reserves.”
The affected communities set out on Monday to repair the damage to the beaches. With the help of tractors, renovation work was carried out in no time to make the popular regions holiday-ready again. And Tuesday the weather was also favorable for holidaymakers: temperatures above 20 degrees marked the start of a warm and sunny holiday week.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
