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Italy storm becomes a catastrophe: Red alert continues - 36,000 have to flee from houses

2023-05-22T03:28:56.098Z

Highlights: More than 36,000 people had to leave their homes due to the floods and landslides in Italy. The authorities of the Emilia-Romagna region extended the red alert until Sunday due to further rainfall. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also expected to visit the hardest-hit areas on Sunday. The mayor of the city of Bologna, Matteo Lepore, said on Saturday that it would take "months, and in some places perhaps years" for the roads and infrastructure to be repaired.



Violent storms and rainfall hit Italy. Floods cause deaths, several people are missing, thousands evacuated. The news ticker.

  • Floods in Italy: A fire brigade helicopter crashed in the flooded area
  • Storm in northern Italy: There is a state of emergency – food and water scarce
  • Floods in Italy: death toll rises to 14
  • This news ticker on the storm and floods in Italy is updated regularly.

Update from May 20, 22:12 p.m.: More than 36,000 people had to leave their homes due to the floods and landslides in Italy, according to authorities on Saturday. The authorities of the Emilia-Romagna region extended the red alert until Sunday due to further rainfall. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also expected to visit the hardest-hit areas on Sunday.

The floods caused more than 305 landslides and damaged or blocked over 500 roads in the region. The mayor of the city of Bologna, Matteo Lepore, said on Saturday that it would take "months, and in some places perhaps years" for the roads and infrastructure to be repaired. The authorities in Ravenna ordered on Saturday the immediate evacuation of other threatened villages.

After severe flooding, carabinieri carry local residents on their backs through the flooded streets of Faenza. © Arma dei Carabinieri

Severe weather in Italy: Fire brigade helicopter crashes into flooded area

Update from May 20, 16:19 p.m.: A helicopter crashed in the Italian province of Ravenna. He was deployed to inspect the power lines damaged by the severe storm, as reported by the news agencies Ansa and Adnkronos. There were four people in the helicopter - one of them was injured, the other three remained unharmed, as the Italian fire brigade announced on Saturday.

A helicopter has crashed in the Italian province of Ravenna, which has been affected by severe storms and floods. © Vigili del Fuoco/dpa

Floods and floods after storms in Italy: Red alert remains in place

Update from May 20, 11:17 a.m.: For the areas affected by the severe storms in Italy, no relief is in sight. On the contrary, more rain is expected to fall over the weekend (20/21 May). In some areas of the region on the Adriatic coast, therefore, the highest red alert level continues to apply, as the Italian Civil Protection announced late on Friday evening (19 May).

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At least 14 people have been killed by the floods this week, according to authorities. Around 15,000 people had to be evacuated. In addition, there are problems with the supply of food and drinking water in many places.

Severe weather in Italy: rivers have burst their banks again

Update from May 20, 07:11 a.m.: Also on Saturday, the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, which was hardest hit by the storm, is on red alert. There are still numerous river crossings, and the risk of landslides remains, Sky TG24 reported. More than 280 landslides were reported by the authorities. Many roads are still closed, rail traffic is restricted. Within four days, as much rain had fallen as otherwise on average within a year, it said.

Floods in Italy: residents storm supermarkets

Update from May 19, 22:45 p.m.: According to a report by the Italian newspaper La Stampa, the mobile kitchen of the regional civil protection is struggling to supply flooded, secluded places in Bassa Romagna. Local supermarkets are either closed or have been stormed in the last few hours, the report added.

The situation is most difficult in Ravenna, where there are a total of nine isolated municipalities. Here, the supply of food and water is critical. Traffic on the motorways has almost returned to normal, but it is still not recommended to reach the provinces of Ravenna and Forlì-Cesena via the secondary roads. These are still interrupted by mud and water.

Italy storm becomes a catastrophe – neighbor describes dramatic phone call with fatalities

Update from May 19, 18:45 p.m.: "I've lost everything," says a man from the city of Faenza after the devastating storms and floods in Italy. "I only own the pajamas I'm wearing," he told AFP as he and his wife waded through the mud and cleared the last personal belongings out of the house with the help of friends.

In the entire Emilia-Romagna region, a red alert was also in effect on Friday. The authorities of Ravenna again ordered the immediate evacuation of several neighborhoods and streets in the morning. Especially in the small villages around Ravenna, the situation is "catastrophic," said Mayor Massimo Isola. Rescue workers were also busy on Friday to bring people trapped in their homes to safety. At the same time, after a 24-hour break, rain began again in some areas. The death toll currently stands at 14.

More and more details are becoming known about the fates of the 14 victims. The late 75-year-old Giovanni Pavani refused to leave his home, according to a report in the newspaper Corriere della Sera. He had protected this with sandbags, he said on Tuesday to his neighbor. But while he was still talking to her on the phone, the water began to flow into the rooms. "I'm cold, so cold. The furniture floats around the house," he said. The neighbor advised him to stand on the table while she wanted to call the emergency services - but by then the line was already interrupted.

Devastating floods in Italy: the number of deaths continues to rise – "Little Apocalypse"

Update from May 19, 13:20 p.m.: In the Emilia-Romagna region, new, large-scale rainfall is forecast for Saturday. For the area from Bologna to Rimini, the red alert level remains, Sky TG24 reported. It is expected that the water levels of the rivers will rise again. The risk of landslides remains high.

Floods in Italy: New civil protection teams on their way to affected areas

Update from May 19, 12:37 p.m.: The storm in Italy continues unabated. Since the early hours of the morning it has been raining again between Bologna and Romagna. This is likely to complicate the work of civil protection. The authorities want to send ten more teams to the hardest-hit region of Emilia-Romagna in the afternoon. The aim is to support the region "in every possible way at this difficult moment," the Italian newspaper La Stampa quoted the authorities as saying.

The city of Ravenna and the surrounding area are also suffering from flooding. The bishop of the city, Monsignor Lorenzo Ghizzoni, spoke of a "small apocalypse". Water levels of up to seven meters have been reported. Families had saved themselves on their roofs. Around Ravenna, numerous villages were completely evacuated, the newspaper reported.

Severe weather in Italy: death toll rises to 14

Update from May 19, 10:30 a.m.: On Friday, the death toll continued to rise after the storms in Italy. At least 14 dead, reports Sky TG24. More people are still missing. Meanwhile, Irene Priolo, vice president of the hard-hit Emilia Romagna region, sees a problem with the return of the almost 10,000 evacuated people.

According to the vice president, the approximately six to seven thousand displaced villagers are likely to expect to return to their homes soon. After a few days or weeks, this should be possible "as soon as we restore the houses," says Priolo. In some places, the clean-up work has already begun. For the inhabitants on the slopes, however, the return is likely to be more difficult. "We have whole slopes that have collapsed," Priolo tells Sky TG24. The situation is endangered and the landslides can hardly be restored.

In total, the damage caused by the floods and landslides is now estimated at several billion euros. "We will rebuild everything," said Stefano Bonaccini, president of the Emilia-Romagna region, according to Sky TG24.

Floods in Italy: Residents begin clean-up work – new storms announced

Update from May 19, 07:25 a.m.: After the devastating storms in northern Italy, clean-up work has begun in some villages. Videos from Cesena on Thursday showed residents shoveling the mud from the streets and sorting out destroyed belongings. "My married life is over there in the bin now," one local resident told Reuters, looking at the soaked wedding album in the video as she wiped tears from her eyes.

Floods in Italy: death toll rises to 13

Update from May 18, 19:22 p.m.: The death toll after the devastating storms in Italy continues to rise. According to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, at least 13 people have died. The Emilia-Romagna region in the north is mainly affected. More than 10,000 people were evacuated. On Thursday, authorities in Ravenna ordered the immediate evacuation of the three villages of Villanova di Ravenna, Filetto and Roncalceci after the Lamone River burst its banks. The Foreign Office published a travel warning for Italy on Thursday due to "extreme weather".

Update from May 18, 17:30 p.m.: Many Italians are slowly returning to the regions affected by the storms. But those affected are presented with a picture of devastation on site: houses and furniture have been destroyed by the mud masses. In Ravenna, one of the hardest-hit provinces, at least 23 rivers burst their banks - and there are already warnings of new storms.

Regional President Stefano Bonaccini attributes this to the great drought and drought that previously prevailed in northern Italy. The parched soils could not absorb the sudden, torrential rains. Due to the floods, the mobile and power grids collapsed in many places. Drinking water pipes were also damaged. The death toll has risen to at least 11.

In Russi, a municipality in the Ravenna region, a couple (73 and 71 years old) has been found dead in their apartment. This is reported by La Stampa. The community had been flooded in the last few hours. The son of the two had already sounded the alarm on social media, as he could no longer reach his parents.

Severe weather in Italy: Renewed rainfall announced for northern Italy

Update from May 18, 15:31 p.m.: After the storms and severe floods that hit the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy at the beginning of the week, many will begin the clean-up work on Thursday. Bewilderment prevails. Within just under two days, as much rain fell in some places as normally in half a year. At least nine people died in the floods or from landslides. Some politicians use the term "apocalypse".

Update from May 18, 13:05 p.m.: In Emilia Romagna, the region hardest hit by the storm in Italy, 27,000 people are without electricity. This was reported by La Stampa, citing data from the Italian energy company Enel. About 170 generators and four power plants are in use to supply emergency power. In addition, more than 250 roads are closed in the region due to the risk of landslides.

In the Bologna area, authorities are once again warning of river crossings. Attempts are being made to limit the water levels. In the course of the day, further storms are expected in Italy. According to civil protection, red alert will also be declared for Friday, Sky TG24 reported.

Floods in Italy: As much rain as usual in six months

Update from May 18, 9:55 a.m.: After the storm in Italy, the risk of landslides and flooding remains high. In the past 36 hours, more rain has fallen in the hard-hit region of Emilia-Romagna than the average in six months, the region's president, Stefano Bonaccini, told Sky TG24. The extent of the devastation of the storm corresponds to that of an earthquake. The damage is so far estimated at an amount in the billions.

Update from May 17, 19:50 p.m.: The storms in Italy continue. The amount of rain for months falls within a few hours. On Wednesday, the Italian Civil Protection called on residents of northern Italy to avoid unnecessary trips by car and to work from home if possible. A red alert has already been issued for Thursday.

Update from May 17, 15:56 p.m.: The death toll as a result of the devastating storms in Italy has risen to nine. On Wednesday afternoon, a 44-year-old man drowned in San Lazzaro di Savena near Bologna, as reported by the Italian La Stampa, among others.

Floods in Italy: death toll rises to eight – red alert remains on alert

Update from May 17, 14:21 p.m.: It is a tragic record: At least eight people have died in the floods in Italy. Several people are still missing. Thousands had to leave their homes in the Emilia-Romagna region. The areas around Bologna, Faenza and the Ravenna area are particularly affected. The cities of Cesena, Faenza, Senigallia, Riccione and Rimini struggled with masses of water. The flooded A14 motorway near Bologna is closed. Rail traffic is at a standstill. The planned Formula 1 race – the Imola Grand Prix – at the weekend has been cancelled.

Update of May 17, 13:27 p.m.: The death toll in the province of Forlì continues to rise. Meanwhile, six fatalities have been reported. A man died, according to media reports, in a landslide in his garden in the area of Cesena. According to initial findings, a hill near his house had collapsed because of the heavy rainfall. The man had been buried by the masses of earth.

Critical weather conditions in Italy: Formula 1 wants to cancel GP in Imola

Update from May 17, 13:15 p.m.: Formula 1 in Imola will probably be cancelled due to the sometimes dramatic floods in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The Italian news agency Ansa claims to have learned this from circles. The Imola Grand Prix was supposed to take place this weekend. An official confirmation is still pending.

Woman's corpse on the beach of Cesenatico – Mayor comments on details

Update of May 17, 12:34 p.m.: After the discovery of a woman's body on the beach of Cesenatico, much is still unclear. According to initial information, it is said to be a German, according to several Italian media. "We do not yet know the reasons, there are investigations by the police," said the mayor of Cesenatico, Matteo Gozzoli, in a live statement on Facebook, as reported by the Italian newspaper La Stampa. The body was found on the beach, the mayor emphasized. The storm claimed at least five lives in Italy. The official number of missing has yet to be determined, they say.

More rain and more red alert: Thousands of people have to be evacuated

Update from May 17, 11:28 a.m.: Entire neighborhoods are flooded. Some of the water reaches up to the first floor. The Savio River is experiencing extreme flooding. 5,000 people have to be evacuated in Emilia Romagna, reports the Italian news agency Ansa, citing the Minister of Civil Protection Nella Musumeci. The consequences of the storm are not yet foreseeable. Chaos reigns on the Adriatic Sea. Only gradually do reports arrive.

Train services between Florence and Bologna are restricted. Some routes to Rimini are completely closed or restricted.

Storm in Italy: Motta Bridge near Bologna collapses

Update from May 17, 10:58 a.m.: In Italy, the situation remains critical. The Motta Bridge in the Bologna area collapsed. It could not withstand the masses of water during the night, the pressure was too great, reports the Italian newspaper Repubblica.

Motorways, such as the A14, are flooded and sections are temporarily closed to traffic. On some roads, a so-called transit ban for heavy vehicles has been issued to facilitate the operations of emergency services.

Dramatic situation in Italy: Germans among the fatalities in Emilia-Romagna

Update from May 17, 10 a.m.: The severe weather situation in Italy continues. The Emilia Romagna region in particular has been hit by severe flooding.

At least three people died, including a woman from Germany. The body was found on the beach of Cesenatico Wednesday morning. This is reported by several Italian media outlets. Masses of water are believed to have washed the woman's body onto the beach.

Severe weather alert in Italy: State of emergency due to flooding – three dead

First reported on May 17, 2023: Rome – The Civil Protection had already warned on Monday of severe storms with floods and landslides in Italy. Emilia Romagna and Marche are now in a state of emergency. The situation is developing dynamically, the situation is getting worse: three people have died and at least four are currently missing. Hundreds were evacuated. Further storms have been announced.

Severe weather in Italy causes dramatic flooding

Severe storms have been hitting Emilia Romagna and Marche since Tuesday. The areas around Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini and Bologna are affected by flooding. The Italian fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco is in continuous operation.

In the city of Cesena, the Savio River has burst its banks. Emergency services are rescuing dozens of people who were trapped on the roofs of their homes. A family with two young children has to be evacuated from their home in Forlì. Motorists, trapped in masses of water, must be freed from their vehicles.

Floods also in Croatia

After days of rainfall, floods have caused damage in parts of Croatia. The Una, a tributary of the Sava, had burst its banks. Civil defense and volunteers erected dams out of sandbags. The authorities in the community of 2,700 inhabitants declared a state of emergency.

There were also floods in the small town of Obrovac near Zadar in the Dalmatian hinterland. There, the old town had already been flooded on Monday after the river Zrmanja had burst its banks. On Tuesday, the water level dropped again, according to media reports. But more rainfall is also predicted there in the next few days. (ml/dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-05-22

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