At least nine dead and 13,000 evacuated by floods in Italy

Extreme weather events have once again wreaked havoc in Italy.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
17 May 2023 Wednesday 12:55
331 Reads
At least nine dead and 13,000 evacuated by floods in Italy

Extreme weather events have once again wreaked havoc in Italy. Cyclone Minerva batters central Italy, killing at least nine people and evacuating thousands from their homes after massive torrential rains swept through the Emilia-Romagna region in the north of the country, where in some areas in just 36 hours it has rained half of what it usually rains annually. Up to 14 rivers have overflowed, causing the water to flood 23 towns and thousands of hectares of cultivated fields.

The last of the deceased is a 44-year-old man who drowned in San Lazzaro di Savena, in the province of Bologna. He was emptying a well with a water pump to clean out his garage when he fell into it. The first victim was found in Forlì. He lived on the ground floor of a house invaded by water from the nearby Montone River. Another person has died inside his car submerged in the water in the province of Ravenna, while another woman has been found on the Zadina beach in Cesenatico after being swept away by the water.

Emergency teams work tirelessly to rescue people trapped in their homes. It is estimated that some 13,000 people have been evacuated so far, including 3,000 in Bologna, 5,000 in Faenza and 5,000 in the Ravenna area, although everything indicates that this number will increase in the coming hours. "Ravenna is unrecognizable," lamented its mayor, Michelede Pascale.

In the town of Cesena, the residents have been forced to go out onto the roofs to be rescued, as requested by the regional president, Stefano Bonaccini, who has urged all those who live near a river to move at upper parts of their buildings.

“It is a very tough situation that is testing the Emilia-Romagna region, but we will react. The first thing is to get people to safety, there are still efforts left, and then we will think about the damage. A few days after the anniversary of the 2012 earthquake, I do not hesitate to say that we are facing another earthquake due to damage caused by the storm in Emilia-Romagna”, Bonaccini assured at a press conference together with the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi.

The heavy rains have led to the suspension of the Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which was to be held on Sunday at the Imola circuit, in a unanimous decision between the various authorities after the overflow of the Santerno river has surrounded the streets with water. facilities near the track.

According to the Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musimecci, between 200 and 500 mm of water have accumulated in just a day and a half in some parts of the region, when 500 mm of rainfall falls annually. Everything comes after months of drought, something that has worsened the situation, since the land was not capable of absorbing water.

“Denying the climate crisis or pretending that it is not with us will not save our country from the consequences of a global crisis that is putting our territory and our citizens to the test. We are facing increasingly intense and frequent meteorological events that alternate at dramatic rates. Phenomena that were rare a long time ago are multiplying now, just a few days away, and not only in Italy. Drought and floods alternate, with the effect of exponentially increasing the risk”, WWF Italy, part of the largest independent international organization dedicated to the defense of nature and the environment, has warned in a statement.