Image: ANDREAS SOLARO (AFP)
The severe storms in northern Italy’s Adriatic region of Emilia Romagna, which killed nine, have also severely damaged agriculture and livestock, a key sector of the area’s economy. In the area between Forlì and Rimini alone, the damage to the fields amounts to one and a half billion euros, according to the Coldiretti agricultural association.
In Romagna and around Bologna, storms and floods have destroyed one of the most important fruit and vegetable growing areas in Italy. The scenario is grim: Thousands of hectares are under water, several hectares of orchards are flooded and stables without electricity, warehouses have been flooded. Whole grain crops were also lost.
Video: High damage in Italy’s growing areas
Wine, apples, pears and vegetables destroyed
5,000 farms have suffered damage, Coldiretti reported. Among other things, vineyards, apple and pear plantations and vegetable fields are affected. There were also problems with the delivery of perishable food, which came to a standstill due to the closure of the A14 motorway. This led to further losses for the agricultural companies.
Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida assured that the government would intervene quickly to help communities affected by the storms and the heaviest rainfall in the last 30 years. He promised a government decree and the provision of adequate funds to deal with the damage. The farmers’ associations are calling for the government to intervene immediately with emergency legislation, as in the case of the earthquake that struck the area in 2012.
A total of 37 communities are completely under water. Pope Francis expressed his condolences and sympathy to those affected by the floods in northern Italy, Kathpress reported. He prays for the deceased and their families as well as for the injured and everyone who suffers from the consequences of the “grave accident”.
Video recordings show the extent of the disaster:
Faenza: residents saved themselves on roofs
21 rivers have burst their banks in the disaster area, and 22 more are about to overflow. 250 landslides, 150 of them serious, were reported in the Apennine communities of the Emilia Romagna region. In Faenza, people climbed onto the roofs of their houses to save themselves from the tidal waves. Some people were taken to safety by helicopters. There were power outages in several parts of the city, and there were also problems with the telephone connections. Evacuations continued there early Thursday morning.
In the province of Ravenna, an immediate evacuation order was issued because of the high risk of flooding. Hardly any rain showers were expected, but the Italian civil defense continued to call for great caution. There was also serious damage in the Adriatic seaside resort of Cervia.
More than 10,000 people evacuated
Several houses and businesses in the province of Ravenna were evacuated due to the risk of flooding. The Ravenna city council, with the support of local police, asked citizens living near rivers to go to the upper floors, Italian media reported. Accommodation in sports halls was offered. In the small town of Castel Bolognese, which was experiencing problems with the drinking water supply, several citizens were evacuated from their homes. Drinking water was distributed with a tank truck.
According to the region’s vice president, Irene Priolo, “more than 10,000 people” were evacuated. According to the civil protection authority, 50,000 residents of the disaster region were without electricity on Wednesday. Delays occurred in the rail system, which also affected the high-speed trains on the north-south axis Milan-Rome. A 14-kilometer queue formed on the A1 “Autostrada del Sole” motorway on an Apennine stretch not far from Bologna – after a landslide only one lane was passable. According to Emilia Romagna Region President Stefano Bonaccini, 280 landslides were reported in 60 municipalities. 400 roads were damaged. He put the damage in the billions.
A state of emergency should be declared
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government wants to give the Emilia Romagna region a helping hand. She called a Council of Ministers meeting for Tuesday (May 23) to loosen financial aid for the areas affected by the severe weather emergency. The cabinet wants to make at least ten million euros available for initial measures. Structural measures against landslides and floods will also be discussed. Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin announced that the government would declare a state of emergency for Emilia Romagna. This is intended to release funds more quickly and avoid bureaucratic hurdles. The Italian government also wants to ask the EU Commission for access to the European Solidarity Fund for disasters.
Source: Nachrichten
