Italy has suffered a further bout of severe flooding. At least seven people have died in floods in Italy in the last 5 weeks.
Last month there were floods in Grosseto, Tuscany where 2 people died. This was quickly followed 2 days later by floods in Puglia with 2 more casualties. Tuscany was flooded again, on 20th October, around the province of Siena, where at least one person died.
Recent heavy rainfall from 10th to 13th November in the bordering Regions of Abruzzo and Marche on the Adriatic coast, have resulted in 2 further deaths. A 49 year old man was found dead, possibly drowned, after his car was stuck in high flood water in Pesaro. Another victim, also in Pesaro, was a 77 year old man who was blown from his roof by strong winds. There have been reports of several more injuries caused by string winds, including 2 people who were struck by glass that been blown from a broken door.
As much as 8.6cm of rain fell in 24 hours in the town of Pescara, Abruzzo during 12th and 13th November 2013. There is concern over river levels in the area. Evacuations were carried out for all households within 1 km of the river in the towns of Città Sant’angelo and Montesilvano, to the north of Pescara.
A state of emergency was declared by the local authorities in the Region of Marche after floods and strong winds wreaked havoc in the area, causing damage to homes, roads and commercial buildings and activities, particularly salt production. Heavy rainfall from surrounding mountains and hillsides soon ran into the the towns along the coastal area.
Director of the Department of Civil Protection in Marche, Roberto Oreficini, compared the flood event to the one that struck the region in 2011 due to the high rainfall levels and the scope of the areas affected. He said that this calamity had affected the whole region. Further inspections will take place next week, and information will be gathered in order to pass it on to central government authorities in Rome.
The heavy rainfall is expected to ease for around 2 days, but further rainfall is then expected, probably by the weekend.
News Report (in Italian):
Map:
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Source and photo credits: Ancona Today
