An “avalanche of water” in northeast Italy claimed one life and left swathes of the Emilia-Romagna area below water Sunday, native officers stated.
Heavy in a single day rain and flooding swept by the flatland already battered by excessive climate as just lately as final month.
Regional authorities stated the deluge hit across the metropolis of Bologna and outlying areas, a lot of it fertile agricultural land susceptible to flooding.
Firefighters stated they’d discovered the physique of a lacking individual in Botteghino di Zocca, instantly south of Bologna. Regional officers recognized him as a 20-year-old man whose automotive was swept away by the frenzy of water.
Within the metropolis of Bologna and close by areas, some 175 millimetres of rain (practically 7 inches) fell in someday, in comparison with the historic common of 70 millimetres for your complete month of October, regional authorities stated.
Bologna and 4 provinces within the northeastern plains space have been positioned below a “purple alert” till midnight Sunday, though rains had tapered off since Saturday.
“The extraordinary quantity of rain has triggered the flooding of quite a few areas of Bologna, with the streets of the town flooded and the sewer and drainage networks unable to soak up the water,” the area stated in an announcement.
Colleges in Bologna could be closed Monday, metropolis corridor stated.
– Rivers rising –
Firefighters revealed movies taken by helicopter that confirmed broad swathes of flooded farmland exterior Bologna.
Greater than 500 firefighters labored to rescue individuals or animals from rising waters in over 515 operations since midnight, they stated.
Greater than 2,100 individuals had been evacuated and about 15,000 individuals misplaced energy in a single day. By Sunday afternoon, some 4,000 individuals remained with out energy, the area stated.
The Reno, Enza and Secchia rivers and tributaries, in addition to related streams, burst their banks, and native officers warned of potential landslides in hilly and mountainous areas.
Fifteen waterways “exceeded the alarm threshold”, with eight rivers surpassing the extent 3 most water degree alert, the area stated.
The area stated some rivers recorded ranges larger than these reached in Could 2023, when the realm was devastated by violent downpours, flooding and landslides that killed 17 individuals.
That flooding was described because the worst Italy had seen in a century.
In September, the tail finish of Storm Boris hit the realm once more, bringing a brand new wave of flooding to the area.
Specialists say local weather change brought on by greenhouse fuel emissions generated by human actions is rising the frequency and depth of utmost climate occasions resembling torrential rains and floods.
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