Image: (APA/AFP/ALESSANDRO SERRANO)
Because the Samoggia river burst its banks in the city of Faenza, several families had to be evacuated. Severe flooding occurred in the city of Senigallia. The hospital’s emergency room was evacuated.
Train traffic came to a standstill
The rail connections between the cities of Forli, Rimini and Ravenna came to a standstill. Due to the increase in rivers in the region, the rail network operator RFI had to cancel several train services. Schools were closed in the city of Cesena.
As a precaution against the high waves, the municipalities of Ravenna and Cervia have issued a ban on access to the beaches. Floods and landslides occurred in the province of Pesaro Urbino. Wind gusts with speeds of 120 kilometers per hour were reported in Trieste.
Residents in some provinces in Emilia Romagna have been asked to avoid unnecessary travel and to work from home if possible. The region in northern Italy had already been hit by heavy rainfall in early May and rivers that burst their banks. There were also fatalities, hundreds of people were evacuated.
Floods in Sicily
Heavy rain fell on the Mediterranean island of Sicily on Monday. In the capital Palermo, for example, streets and some cellars were under water. Some train connections have also been canceled for safety reasons. Civil defense had also declared the highest red alert level for Sicily as a pre-warning.
Italy has been plagued by extreme weather so far this year. While it was still very dry in winter and early spring and rivers and lakes carried exceptionally little water, there has recently been repeated, localized heavy rainfall.
Localization: The Emilia Romagna region was particularly hard hit by the storms
Source: Nachrichten
