Several people have died in the extreme floods in northern Italy. Over 10,000 residents in the affected areas of the Emilia-Romagna region have been evacuated.
In addition to the unusually heavy rainfall, some animals also contributed to the disaster. This is because many rivers in the region are protected with dams made of earthen embankments. Porcupines in particular create highly branched and long corridors in their burrows, which influences the stability of the dams. The risk of dam failures in the province of Modena has been significantly reduced.