More than 36,000 people have been displaced as a result of the floods that are devastating northeastern Italy, the Emilia-Romagna region announced on Saturday (May 20th), as floods engulfed even more homes and hamlets were cut off by new landslides. The violent weather ravaging Emilia-Romagna has killed fourteen people and turned city streets into rivers. With no respite from the showers, regional authorities have extended the weather red alert until Sunday.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Saturday (May 20th) that she would leave the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, prematurely to return to Italy and deal with the crisis. "Frankly, I can't stay so far from Italy at such a complicated time," she told a news conference, thanking the 5000,7 people — rescue team members and volunteers — who are helping flood-affected victims. She also thanked her G<> counterparts for their offer of assistance. Giorgia Meloni is expected to visit the areas most affected by the floods this Sunday.
Evacuations of certain dwellings
The authorities of Ravenna ordered this Saturday the immediate evacuation of hamlets particularly exposed. A helicopter participating in attempts to restore electricity crashed Saturday near Lugo, injuring one of the four people on board, firefighters said.
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The floods caused more than 305 landslides and damaged or cut off more than 500 roads in the region. "The water began to rise at 14:00 (this Friday) while crossing the fields," after nearby canals overflowed, submerged by the waters of swollen rivers, told AFP Mauro Lodola, a 54-year-old electrician. "It's difficult. I would like this to end quickly, so that I can move forward... pull yourself together," he says, standing in muddy water up to his thighs near his home.
Shaken, Mauro Lodola shows his devastated house, the water lapping around the refrigerator in the kitchen and the mattress of his bed, where furniture saved in disaster has been piled up. Outside, a white door floats near a barn, where panicked chickens have taken refuge. Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore said Saturday that it would take "months, and in some places maybe years" to repair roads and infrastructure.