Italy Swamped by Flash Floods

At least three people are presumed dead in flooding and landslides in northern Italy. Two elderly people are thought to be buried after their home was crushed in a mudslide. Another woman trapped in her home has died of a heart attack. The Mayor of Leivi, Vittorio Centanaro, told reporters: “The situation is really bad; it’s a tragedy. It’s a tragedy for the whole area. Every year we have to face this kind of situation.”The regions affected by the torrential rain and flooding include Tuscany, Lombardy, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna. Some towns are reported to have had more than 20 centimetres of rain in just 12 hours. Heavy rains left the Tuscan city of Carrara submerged on Wednesday, but the situation has improved. Authorities report that two-thirds of the flood water have subsided. Venice was hit by high waters, and people could be seen wading through St Mark’s square. he region’s agricultural association (CIA) said that the deluge had destroyed many orchards and vineyards while livestock such as lambs were drowned. They complained that poor land management had contributed to the disaster. The sector has already been hit hard by the Russian embargo on EU foodstuffs and low prices. Bad weather has already cost farmers around one billion euros this year. Up to 110 mm of rain is forecast for the capital, triggering school closures. Red alerts were also issued for regions stretching from Veneto to Umbria as well as Lazio and Sicily.

http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/06/italy-swamped-by-flash-floods-/

http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/11/at-least-three-people-presumed-dead-in-italian-flooding/