ROME — Violent thunderstorms, small tornadoes that blew roofs off homes, and winds equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane lashed Italy from Piedmont to Sicily early this week, leaving at least nine people dead, many injured, and firefighters and other rescue workers scrambling to respond to emergency calls.
In Venice, ferocious winds drove the high tide to more than 61 inches, or 156 centimeters, above average sea level on Monday, one of the highest levels ever recorded, plunging much of the city under water. It was the highest flood in a decade in Venice, though far short of the record, more than 76 inches above level, set in November 1966.
Venetians and tourists tottered on raised walkways throughout the city, while others waded through thigh-high water, many wearing plastic bags on their feet. Many shops and restaurants flooded when barriers across doorways failed to keep the water out.
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