Authorities in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region reported on Wednesday that nine people perished and hundreds of people had to be evacuated from their homes as a result of the torrential rain that caused floods and landslides.
Minister of Civil Protection Nello Musumeci claimed that some districts had experienced half their typical annual rainfall in just 36 hours, causing rivers to overflow, sending water flowing through towns and engulfing thousands of acres of farmland.The decision to cancel Sunday’s Formula One Grand Prix in Imola, adjacent to many of the hardest-hit towns, was made in an effort to reduce the strain on emergency services and keep racing enthusiasts away from the flood-ravaged area.
According to Emilia-Romagna region president Stefano Bonaccini, “we are facing catastrophic events that have probably never been seen before.” A land that can no longer absorb them has received extraordinary volumes of rain.The famous for its early Christian heritage sites Adriatic coastal city of Ravenna was severely impacted. About 14,000 people would need to be evacuated from the area as quickly as possible, the local interior ministry representative said.
Around 120 landslides, according to the authorities, were reported along with flooding that affected 37 towns and localities. At least one bridge in the vicinity of Bologna collapsed, flooding weakened some highways, and numerous rail services were halted.
Bonaccini reported that nine bodies had been discovered in separate places. Vice President of the area Irene Priolo informed reporters that even though the rains were ceasing, river levels were still increasing.
When the cabinet meets on May 23 to discuss relief measures, Civil Protection Minister Musumeci stated he will ask them to find 20 million euros ($22 million) for the afflicted area.Tax and mortgage payments would be halted during the emergency, according to government officials in the flood-affected areas.
