Nine dead and one missing after storms batter Italy

Nine people are reported dead and one missing today after storms swept across Italy, destroying roads and flooding towns and cities.

 

Much of northern Italy remains under red alert today, after two days of severe storms in which much of the country was lashed by torrential rains. Winds of up to 180 kilometers an hour have been reported in Liguria, and waves up to seven meters high.

So far the storm has reportedly left nine people dead, one missing and dozens injured.

Two people were killed when a tree hit a car they were travelling in near Frosinone, south of Rome.

A volunteer firefighter was reportedly killed by a falling tree in Alto Adige. Falling trees also killed a man in Terracina south of the capital, and another in the Naples region, authorities said.

5.800 firefighters responded to over 7,000 incidents yesterday, the Italian fire service said.

More than 3500 calls were for fallen or dangerous trees, the main cause of fatal accidents.

Near Savona in the northwest, a falling piece of cornice struck and killed a woman.

A boat owner is still missing after a storm-tossed sailboat was smashed against a pier in Calabria on Sunday. He was the owner of the Canadian-flagged vessel, from which others may also be missing.
Authorities said today that a woman died when her home was engulfed by a mudslide and rocks in the northern region of Trentino.

A man was killed while kitesurfing on Monday afternoon near the town of Cattolica on the Adriatic coast, with the local press saying strong winds had blown his board into the rocks.

Italian media have also reported that around 170 people, tourists and hotel staff, were stranded by heavy snowfall at the Stelvio Pass on the Swiss border.

Dozens of people are reported wounded, among which there are also several firefighters.

There was widespread damage to roads and property across many regions. A bridge collapsed due to heavy rains at Ovaro, Friuli on Monday.

Record high winds were recorded in Liguria, with the highest at 180 kilometers per hour in Savona.

 https://www.thelocal.it/20181029/eight-dead-and-many-missing-after-severe-storms-batter-italy