In addition to the destroyed apartments and business premises, at least one bridge is said to have collapsed as a result of the floods. At least eleven have died.
In northern Italy, thousands of people have had to leave their homes in recent days due to floods caused by heavy rains. As a result of several days of rain, dozens of rivers have risen above their banks and caused floods and landslides.
According to meteorologists, the risk of serious floods has been increased by the long dry period preceding the rains. The hardened earth due to the drought has weakened the soil’s ability to absorb water.
According to Italian authorities, there have been floods in at least 37 cities, and more than 100 landslides have been registered across the country.
The worst floods hit the Emilia-Romagna region in the northern part of the country. So far, at least eleven people are said to have died as a result of the floods.
– It happened very quickly. We had prepared barriers, but they were too low. The water rose half a meter in five minutes and reached the houses, a resident of Castel Bolognese David tells Reuters.
– The water rose to 120 centimeters, up to the stove. I put all the things on the bed because I didn’t think the water would rise that high. Clothes, closets, everything went with the floods, a resident of Lugo, who spoke anonymously, says in an interview with the Italian public radio company.
In addition to the destroyed apartments and business premises, at least one bridge is said to have collapsed near Bologna. In addition, tens of thousands of people are without electricity. Due to the floods, the Imola F1 race intended to be run on the weekend had to be canceled as well.
In the flood zone of northern Italy, the rains have stopped for a while on Thursday. However, new rains are arriving in Italy for the weekend, which has raised concerns among both residents and rescue authorities.
During the past week, heavy rains have also caused floods in other southern European countries. Even at the beginning of the week, the worst floods were seen in the Balkan countries.